Santosh Kumar leads Commonwealth Climate Dialogue at House of Lords

Former Rajya Sabha member Joginipally Santosh Kumar led a Commonwealth climate dialogue at the House of Lords in London, where parliamentarians and climate advocates endorsed youth-driven environmental initiatives and pledged support for collaborative climate action across the Commonwealth.

Hyderabad: Former Rajya Sabha member and Igniting Minds Organisation chairman Joginipally Santosh Kumar led a Commonwealth climate dialogue at the House of Lords in London, bringing together parliamentarians, diplomats and climate advocates from across the Commonwealth to discuss citizen-led environmental action.

The event, titled “Playing for the Planet – A Green Commonwealth Dialogue on Sport and Climate Action”, was held during London Climate Action Week and was organised by the Ramphal Institute in partnership with Igniting Minds.

---

Parliamentarians from the UK and Kenya, the Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Sport and the High Commissioner of Antigua and Barbuda, who participated in the event, endorsed a verified, youth-driven model that mobilised over 196 million trees and 44 million citizens and charted a roadmap to Glasgow, CHOGM Antigua and Hyderabad. They emphasised the role of youth and sport in advancing climate action and extended support to community-driven environmental initiatives.

Addressing the gathering, Santosh Kumar traced the journey of the Green India Challenge from Telangana to an international platform, stressing the need for greater collaboration among Commonwealth nations to strengthen climate resilience and youth participation in environmental programmes.

A Kenyan parliamentary delegation, led by Deputy Speaker of the Senate Senator Kathuri Murungi, praised the initiative and expressed interest in partnering with Igniting Minds on afforestation and rewilding projects. Members of the delegation also proposed inviting Santosh Kumar to serve as a Green Ambassador for Kenya.

According to the organisers, the Green India Challenge has mobilised more than 196 million saplings and engaged over 44 million citizens. The initiative has also supported the creation of more than 21,000 water conservation structures across 33 countries.

Commonwealth Sport representatives outlined sustainability goals for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, including low-carbon operations, elimination of single-use plastics and diversion of 95 per cent of event-related waste from landfills.

The event concluded with a commitment to carry forward collaborative climate action initiatives through upcoming global platforms, including the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, and Hyderabad Climate Action Week 2026, which is scheduled to be held in December this year.