Pushpanath Krishnamurthy is a renowned climate change activist, who has spent three decades at the leading edge of development work across three continents, with NGOs such as Oxfam and Save the Children, and as a Senior Associate at the Indian non-profit organisation, Centre for Social Markets and Fairtrade work in India.
He acquired legendary status for his pioneering work on campaigns, which allowed ordinary people to tell policymakers about their direct experiences of climate change.
In December 2009, Pushpanath embarked on his first long walk - his ‘Walk for Climate Justice’ - from Oxford, UK to Copenhagen, Denmark, to raise awareness of the issues of climate change and poverty in advance of the UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen, COP15.
In the more than a decade since his first walk to Copenhagen, he has taken almost 36 million steps and reached nearly 600,000 people directly.
In late 2021 Push undertook a mammoth walk from London to Glasgow for COP26. This follows from his most recent walk over 13 days in Zambia prior to COP27.
What is the biggest highlight of climate change that the world needs to worry about?
No place, no one, and no country is safe from climate change's fierce and unrelenting impact. from floods, drought, fire, and cloud bursts to landslides. The poorest people, especially women get hit first, worst and hardest.
What has your experience of working as an activist helped you understand differently than a layman?
The unpredictability and fatal impact have affected those who have caused the least amount of damage. Despite the negative impact even the most hurt reimagine a life of possibility and promise for climate justice. Many of them adapt to the situation within the limits of their ability. Promises of help from rich nations and the historical polluters are yet to be redeemed
There is a window of opportunities for changing it. Emission-driven growth is unsustainable and gas-plundered thus hurting the poorer nations, communities and women mist.
Is the UK equipped to handle the current climate emergency?
Undoubtedly, we have the technology, and the resources, but no political will still support the fossil fuel lobby.
What can we as a community do to make sure we create a sustainable future for our offspring and their future generations to survive the climate crisis?
On my walk from Croydon to Glasgow I met more than 6,000 people. From upper crust to unemployed hosted me. I found unlike in 2009 when I walked across Europe there is now greater awareness, realisation and actions. Some councils even the poorer ones like Luton have declared a climate emergency.