Meet our Global Ambassador from India: Aakash Ranison

Blog India

14.09.2026

By Aakash Ranison and Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet

Aakash Ranison joins Global Energy Alliance as a Global Ambassador!

Fast facts

Aakash Ranison was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Aakash is a published author, releasing “I’m a Climate Optimist,” released in 2023.

For Aakash, clean energy is about dignity, security and opportunity in a climate that is already changing.

Nearly 700 million people live without electricity, while a billion more live with access that is unaffordable or unreliable. The opportunity to change that by powering businesses, creating jobs and driving economic growth, and by building AI-enabled, renewables-ready power systems, is historic.

The energy transition looks different in every part of the world, and it requires locally anchored knowledge and country-led solutions to get it right. Our new ambassadors bring ground level perspectives to the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet. Coming from Africa, Asia and Latin America, they use their voices and platforms to highlight the people, ideas and solutions shaping a fast and fair energy transition.

Meet Aakash Ranison, a climate activist, author, and filmmaker from India.

Q: Please introduce yourself and tell us how you ended up working on sustainable energy.

A: My name is Aakash Ranison. I was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and attended eight schools across four Indian states. Each place showed me a different side of the country, from the mountains of Uttarakhand to the fast-paced life in Delhi. It taught me early on that there’s never just one way to see the world. As a teenager, I started The Golden Bird Foundation to teach computer skills to underserved kids. Later, I traveled India on foot, by bicycle and by hitchhiking. A 2016 trip to Ladakh, in the Himalayan region bordering Tibet, showed me how fragile ecosystems are. I realized you protect what you love. Because I love nature, I have dedicated my life to protecting it.

Q: Was there a particular moment in your life that shaped how you think about climate and energy?

A: Living in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley in 2017 was a transformative experience. The valley is so remote that sending an email could take all night. Resources are scarce, and the ecosystem is fragile. While volunteering with Spiti Ecosphere, I saw solar power bring light and warmth to farmers, schools and villages where grid infrastructure might never reach. I realized then that energy is much more than electricity. It means opportunity, independence and dignity. Seeing clean energy meet real human needs showed me how smart solutions can transform lives in places the system often forgets.

Q: What achievements are you most proud of?

A: After my book, “I’m a Climate Optimist,” was published, readers reached out to tell me they had changed their diets, adopted more sustainable habits and started supporting eco-conscious businesses I highlighted in the book. This meant an idea moved from the page to real-world action. I’ve also spoken at global forums on climate, peace and migration, bringing Indian grassroots stories into international conversations. I’m proud that my work has helped people think and act differently, and realize that they can be part of the solution.

Q: Why did you decide to join Global Energy Alliance’s Ambassador Program?

A: Energy is at the centre of everything I care about: climate, livelihoods, dignity and opportunity. Over the years, I’ve worked on EVs, Formula E, and with renewable energy outfits. Global Energy Alliance’s work excites me because it focuses on where energy can change lives the most: the lives of farmers, women, schoolchildren and remote communities. My travels showed me that clean, reliable, decentralized energy expands what is possible for people without them having to wait for big centralized systems. Joining the Global Energy Alliance as an ambassador allows me to integrate climate action, storytelling and community work to improve lives.

Q: What kind of impact do you hope to have on your followers and ours?

A: I want to change the way people think about energy. Energy means opportunity, not a switch or a socket. It is a child being able to study after dark, a farmer increasing their income, food on the table, a school staying open and a safer home. I hope followers will start to see clean, decentralized energy through a human lens. If our stories can inspire people to rethink energy and believe a better system is possible, that’s meaningful change.

Q: What kind of future do you hope we can create for people and the planet?

A: I hope we create a future that puts nature first. We are only temporary travelers on this planet. We should leave it with the same possibilities we found. This includes other species too; we’re all part of a shared ecosystem. I imagine progress without destroying nature: energy needs met sustainably, communities thriving and forests and rivers alive. A brighter future isn’t about consuming more; it’s about powering more with renewables and respecting all life.

Q: How do climate change and a lack of clean energy impact everyday lives in India?

A: Climate change has already arrived in full force: bringing extreme heat, erratic monsoons, melting glaciers and shifting seasons. For farmers and rural communities in India, this means unstable incomes, greater food insecurity and health crises. Clean energy builds resilience by providing cooling during heatwaves, heating in the high altitudes of the Himalayas and reliable power for schools, farms and clinics. If demand is met by polluting sources, we worsen the problem. Renewables offer a way to meet needs while becoming more sustainable and reaching more people. For me, clean energy is about dignity, security and opportunity in a climate that is already changing.