Life is all about having dreams and then chasing them down. When I was 11 years old young, I saw a film on Antarctica and from that day on, I wanted to be there. I dreamt of being the first person to walk to the North and South poles. And a few months shy of my 33rd birthday, I did it.

The one word that comes to my mind when I think of Antarctica is ?inspiring?. The icy continent continues to teach me something new each time I go there. It is the last true great wilderness left on earth; the only place that no one owns; where there have been no wars; which no one has destroyed ? yet.

In the last couple of decades we have become increasingly aware of how unrestrained economic activity is taking a toll on the environment. The impact is most visible in Antarctica.

If we want to conserve the environment, we need people with common sense, a will to do something and the ability to feel. All of us have it in us to make a difference by making simple alternations in our lifestyles. All it requires is the desire to step out of our comfort zones and think about ourselves as part of the ecology and not outside it. Do what you can, wherever you can and whenever you can ? it is about taking small measures while keeping the bigger picture in mind.

This requires us to change the way we think, the way we act. And for any change what is required is energy. The problem today is that there a lot of noise around us, of all kinds, which distracts us. But today?s youth possess the right energy that can be tapped and channelised towards environmental conservation. The youth is not very rigid in their thoughts. They are open to ideas and willing to listen.

It is very important that we work with young people for they are the ones who will shape this planet?s future. In India, UN estimates peg the number of young people aged between 10 and 24 at 358 million, representing over 30 percent of the country’s population.

Today?s generation of young people is poised to change the country in fundamental ways. However, unless we empower this large young population to make informed choices, we cannot achieve sustainable development because sustainability is not just environmental protection; it means the wholesome development of a society by judiciously using available resources. Educating young people is not just important; it is a way to ensure the survival of the human race and development of future societies.

I place my trust in the youth who, I believe are harbingers of change and have tremendous potential to create significant impact in the communities in which they live. My interaction with the youth in India through initiatives like Project SEARCH and LEADearthSHIP leads me to believe in their relentless commitment towards environmental issues. These two projects – working with school children and graduates on issues related to waste management, sustainable growth and leadership – have given me the opportunity to see firsthand the potential that exists in the country.

It is the passion of today?s youth that inspired me to form ?Leadership on The Edge?, an annual expedition to Antarctica to learn about environment conservation at ground zero. We carefully select a team that doesn’t just learn about the continent?s fragile ecosystem, but also focuses on leadership, teamwork and personal development. The expedition creates leaders who then inspire thousands of others to take on the environmental baton.?

With that in mind, it is very heartening that India?s youth have found representation in this year?s expedition through Shreyak Mahajan, an engineering student from Delhi. His story is one of passion and determination, the very essence of youth and the foundations for progress. The 20 year old has already worked on several waste and water management projects under the successful LEADearthSHIP initiative.

An initiative of TERI and Tetra Pak India, the programme aims to be a springboard for future young leaders in India who have their world views deeply rooted in sustainability, ethics and innovation. Initiatives like these should be replicated by others in order to give a platform, a voice to the vibrant and eager youngsters of the country.

Shreyak has joined a team of like-minded individuals and will bring back with him an experience that will inspire others to take up the baton for sustainable development. Today?s youth is tomorrow?s future. Here?s hoping that we can have several more young leaders like Shreyak who can be the agents of change and put the country and indeed the planet firmly on track towards a brighter, greener future.

– Article attributed to Sir Robert Swan, OBE is a Polar Explorer and Environmental leader

(Views expressed here are author’s own)