Aruna Chandrasekhar
Journalists & Writers
Also working within:
Academics & Education
Also working within:
Academics & Education
Based: London
Aruna is an independent journalist and storyteller from India. She tries to tell complicated stories differently and as a means to answer collective questions around development, energy and the future of frontline communities at risk in a fast-warming world. These questions have led her on a journey from Central India’s coalfields to the Conference of Parties on climate change and now to Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute. As an independent journalist, her work has appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian and many more. Aruna’s work has been recognised by the Mumbai Press Club, the Shriram Financial Journalism Awards and anti-bribery non-profit
TRACE International.
“The UK’s climate movement is genuinely powerful to witness as an outsider looking in. I’m always pleasantly surprised to see ‘Rebel for Life’ stickers in Oxford windows and students occupying college lawns calling for divestment, but my mind drifts to indigenous activists back home taking on UK mining companies being falsely arrested as Maoist rebels. It’s inspiring to see net zero coded in law, but cities like Mumbai will be under water by the time the UK gets there. The UK climate movement has the world’s attention now and there are lessons for the world in how to rapidly decarbonise an economy that grew in wealth and power from exploiting fossil fuels. The movement can only grow stronger if we share knowledge, resources and concern for what’s happening beyond our borders.”