Space Pioneers Rakesh Sharma and Shubhanshu Shukla Join Forces for Climate Action

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“As a taxon  endowed with awareness, we request   to enactment    urgently connected  strategies that guarantee  the well-being of aboriginal   generations,” Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma said. File

“As a taxon endowed with awareness, we request to enactment urgently connected strategies that guarantee the well-being of aboriginal generations,” Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma said. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

When Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma peered retired of his spacecraft successful 1984 and described India arsenic “Saarey Jahan Se Accha,” helium could not person imagined that 42 years later, those words would bring him backmost this time, not to marvel astatine the view, but to support it.

On Tuesday (February 17, 2026), Mumbai Climate Week 2026 volition unfastened astatine the Jio World Convention Centre. 84-year-old abstraction pioneer Rakesh Sharma is acceptable to stock a level for the archetypal clip with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who returned from the International Space Station 8 months ago. Felicitating them volition beryllium Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar.

The three-day citizen-led clime platform, moving from February 17 to 19, positions Mumbai arsenic the archetypal large metropolis successful the Global South to big an inaugural of this scale, bringing unneurotic implicit 400 speakers from crossed the world.

“Humanity is experiencing life-threatening clime events caused by thoughtless overconsumption,” Mr. Sharma said. “As a taxon endowed with awareness, we request to enactment urgently connected strategies that guarantee the well-being of aboriginal generations,” helium added.

Mr. Shukla, awarded the Ashoka Chakra this twelvemonth aft becoming the archetypal Indian to sojourn the International Space Station successful June 2025, enactment it starkly: “From orbit, the work to safeguard our satellite is not an abstract ideal. It is an urgent and disposable imperative.”

Mumbai Climate Week, an inaugural of Project Mumbai supported by the Maharashtra Government, MMRDA and BMC, is structured astir 3 pillars: nutrient systems, vigor transition, and municipality resilience.

Day 1 opens with a plenary titled “Rewriting the Climate Future” and features an Earthshot Prize evening focused connected quality and nutrient systems. Day 2 brings a fireside chat with Hillary Clinton, plenaries connected sub-national clime enactment and clime finance, and concludes with the abstraction session.

The 2 astronauts volition anchor an evening league connected Day 2 astatine 8:00 p.m. titled “Climate with Art/Sports/Cinema/Space,” engaging with schoolhouse students and planetary delegations.

Day 3 spotlights winners of the MCW Innovation Challenge, with capitalist sessions for young changemakers.

International speakers see Hillary Clinton, Soumya Swaminathan, and Esther Finidori. Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav, Pralhald Joshi, S. Jaishankar, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are expected. Business leaders see Noel Tata, V. Vaidyanathan, and the Godrej’s.

What sets the week isolated is VaartaVaran a national speakers’ country wherever anyone tin stock clime concerns done poetry, song, oregon storytelling. UNICEF and YuWaah are starring younker engagement, with Campus Roadshows and a Youth Green Innovation Challenge for those aged 16 to 24.

“Mumbai Climate Week is built connected a elemental idea,” said Mr. Shishir Joshi, laminitis of Project Mumbai. “When astronauts who’ve seen Earth from abstraction stock that acquisition with schoolhouse students, it sends a connection that each national has a relation to play,” helium added.

Entry is escaped for each clime enthusiasts. Registration is disposable astatine the venue oregon online.

Published - February 16, 2026 09:51 p.m. IST

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