DUBLIN — Divyansh Agrawal, a Dublin High School senior, earned international recognition for his climate advocacy after being named one of three finalists for the 2025 International Children’s Peace Prize earlier this year.
Awarded by the KidsRights Foundation, the annual prize honors young leaders advancing children’s rights worldwide. Past recipients have included Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
This year’s award went to Bana Alabed, a Syrian teenager now living in Turkey who advocates for children in war zones, including in Syria, Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. The third finalist was Aeshnina Azzahra Aqilani, an Indonesian advocate against Western nations exporting plastic waste to developing countries.
“I felt — and continue to feel — extremely grateful,” Agrawal told The Independent. “Being a top-three finalist motivates me to keep doing what I love and to help build a world where we can fall in love with each other and the planet.”
Agrawal was named a finalist for his climate and children’s rights advocacy, having mobilized thousands of young people nationwide through policy-focused organizing.
He founded the Junior Philanthropists Foundation in 2021, supporting advocacy efforts tied to the passage of 18 environmental bills in California and co-drafting the Global Youth Statement at the COP29 climate conference in 2024.
Through his foundation, Agrawal is currently working on a campaign known as “Make Polluters Pay,” which advocates for legislation that would require major fossil fuel companies to financially account for decades of environmental damage.
He said the proposal would require California to calculate emissions linked to specific companies and determine compensation for environmental and public health impacts.
Agrawal said advocates estimate the proposal could total about $20 billion, based on calculations of emissions and associated environmental and public health impacts.
Having grown up in Dublin surrounded by parks and open space, Agrawal traced his interest in climate advocacy back to childhood. He spent much of his early years outdoors near a community park, often playing by a creek.
“When I was younger, the creek was really flowing,” he said. “Now it’s basically nonexistent.”
As he became more aware of his surroundings, Agrawal noticed drying grass, shrinking water levels and increasing pollution — long before he had the vocabulary to describe climate change while he was still in elementary school.
A science teacher introduced him to environmental movements, and Agrawal said he drew inspiration from Thunberg, whose climate activism gained global attention in 2018 and showed him how young people could influence global conversations.
“I didn’t know a student so young could have that much impact,” he said. From there, Agrawal began working on his public-speaking skills and joined debate teams.
As he acted, more opportunities followed, including a visit to the state Capitol that marked a turning point. Agrawal joined a friend to lobby lawmakers on environmental policy and saw firsthand how legislation moves through the system.
“That was the first time I realized I could actually have an impact in person,” he said.
The 16-year-old credited support from his parents and legislative staffers with helping him navigate the policymaking process and driving him to Sacramento.
His work has also earned local recognition. The Dublin City Council on Dec. 2 presented Agrawal with a commendation that recognizes his selection as a finalist for the International Children’s Peace Prize.
As he continues his senior year and prepares for college, Agrawal said he plans to continue leading the Junior Philanthropists Foundation while expanding his climate and policy work.
For other students interested in advocacy, he offered simple advice.
“There’s no perfect way to start — just start,” he said. “Whatever you’re passionate about, take that first step. If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, paths open up. You just have to have faith.”