Navya Kedia

My Story

Imagine a world where people are living healthy and happy lives, regardless of where they live; This isn’t just a dream. This is the reality I believe we can build towards through entrepreneurship and collaboration. My vision is for our society and polluting firms to take environmental accountability so we can transition to a greener world for everyone, before it is too late.

As a 15 year old living in Hong Kong, I see the problems pollution causes to the environment and the city life. In the most densely populated regions of Hong Kong with the largest number of commercial vehicles and factories, the air pollution can be equivalent to someone smoking 19.8 cigarettes every month. Globally, air pollution is the cause of 29% of all deaths due to lung diseases. Water pollution is also a major threat, with around 3.2 billion miniscule plastic pollutants residing in the ocean. This issue affects the countless marine life that are native to the area, such as the elusive pink dolphins, who were found at the shorelines of beaches with high concentrations of contaminants found in their bodies. These creatures are now thought to be at the brink of extinction. This problem deeply means a lot to me because I can see the lack of government aid to fix this, because of the region’s pro-business model. As someone who also unknowingly has bought manufactured products from some of the worst polluting firms, I feel that I am also part of the issue, and feel responsible to fix this lifestyle.

Everyday, the planet looms closer to death because of these terrible environmental troubles that could be fixed if only they were given more attention. To address this problem, many changes will have to be made. The most significant method with the help of entrepreneurship would be to start at the root of the problem 一 spreading awareness. Although many young people are more educated than ever, there is still an issue as many companies manipulate their customers using techniques such as greenwashing, making them think they are being environmentally-conscious when they are causing more harm by actually buying the product.

To fix this, online campaigns and research on these companies can be launched and shared within the community. Another way is by investing more in sustainable and green businesses. These businesses encourage recycling and sustainable practices, such as planting trees. In the future, I would like to open a business which is dedicated to providing goods to people which ensure the safety of their health and their surrounding environment, while being accessible to all.

This plan will take lots of hard work, but in a few years a significant change will be made 一 brick by brick. Something I hope to achieve with this essay is to break down the barriers preventing those with big dreams from taking the next step to fulfil their goals. It's only with the help of entrepreneurs can new innovation be fostered to solve problems.