Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 5 : On World Environment Day, June 5, the Green Society of India honoured world-renowned philosopher and author Acharya Prashant with the prestigious "Most Impactful Environmentalist " award. Acharya Prashant has been leading a nationwide movement instrumental in integrating spiritual clarity with environmental awareness. The society bestowed him with an award for guiding millions of individuals towards sustainable living.
Accepting the honour, Acharya Prashant delivered a powerful address, "The climate crisis is not just outside, it's inside. The glaciers are melting because our minds are burning with greed. Oceans are rising because our desires know no bounds. Before we can act responsibly, we must first think clearly. And that is where true environmentalism begins, not in policy, but in consciousness."
"When we talk about the environment, we usually refer to forests, rivers, air, and wildlife. But do we ever ask what kind of people we are that we end up polluting rivers or depleting forests?" he questioned. "Until we address the pollution within the inner chaos, violence, and apathy, how can any external action truly succeed?"
Highlighting the anthropogenic roots of the climate crisis, Acharya Prashant critiqued the tendency to treat environmental issues as isolated, data-driven challenges. "We talk about the Air Quality Index but never the 'Human Quality.' As if the fault lies in the air and not in us," he remarked.
He further underscored that much of the environmental concern expressed today stems from self-interest rather than genuine reverence for nature. "If we were handed a new planet after destroying this one, most of us would forget about the environment instantly," he said, drawing attention to the utilitarian mindset that dominates environmental action.
In response to the growing climate emergency, Acharya Prashant has launched "Operation 2030", a nationwide initiative to awaken and educate India's youth. The initiative is aligned with the IPCC-supported UN climate target of keeping the temperature rise to 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels by 2030. It aims to create a new type of leader based on ecological awareness, inner courage, and a profound sense of collective responsibility.
Acharya Prashant shines because he can bridge the timeless Vedantic message to the most pressing ecological crisis of our times. Central to his ecological outreach is his Bhagavad Gita Teaching Program, which has now engaged over 100,000 participants and recently conducted what is regarded as the world's largest online Gita-based spiritual examination.
Acharya Prashant's teachings integrate orthodox Vedantic traditions with Buddhism, existentialism, and Western philosophical thought, influencing thinkers and students at top global institutions such as UC Berkeley, Bard College, IITs, IIMs, IISc, and AIIMS.
Concluding his address, Acharya Prashant offered a stern but inspiring call: "We are not running out of time, we've already run out. 2030 is no longer a policy target; it is a planetary lifeline. To win this race against time, we need a million mutinies in favour of the planet, mutinies in how we think, consume, and live. In homes, classrooms, offices, and within ourselves, change must erupt. The only hope now is an inner revolution led by aware, courageous individuals who refuse to be part of the problem. Nobody is going to come to save the planet. It starts with you."
As the world celebrates another Environment Day, Acharya Prashant's voice cuts through the rhetoric, reminding us that the path to ecological healing begins with inner awakening, and the time to walk it is now.