Net-Zero Heroes: Nanditha Vedula & Sukruthi Pamu

We’re helping make Austin net-zero by creating small, actionable, and accessible ways for busy teenagers to be sustainable and help the environment.

Meet our latest Net-Zero Heroes: Nanditha Vedula and Sukruthi Pamu! Nanditha and Sukruthi are students at McNeil High School working to demonstrate that you don't need a lot of time or money to help the planet—you just need a good idea and a little courage.

During middle school, the two friends noticed something: plenty of teens wanted to help the environment, but big cleanups and long volunteer commitments just didn't fit into a schedule packed with school, sports, and extracurriculars. So they built something different. Their organization, Our Green World, helps students take small, doable actions that add up to a real impact over time. 

Nanditha and Sukruthi are showing their peers that sustainability doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. We met with them at UT Austin’s Turtle Pond to talk about what inspired Our Green World, the challenges of working with their peers, and their advice for anyone ready to turn concern into action.

What inspired you to take action?

Nanditha: Starting in 2020, I saw many people who wanted to help the environment but lacked the time and resources they felt they needed to commit. While there are many big ways for people to get involved—like large-scale cleanups and initiatives—for many high schoolers, it is usually not possible for them to commit that much time.

Sukruthi: Teenagers are usually really busy with school, AP exams, and other activities. We wanted to help create a program where busy people could make an environmental impact without spending too much time traveling back and forth to big environmental cleanups or events. We looked for solutions to make long-term environmental action more accessible and simple for people like us, especially within their own passions.

How did you do it?

Nanditha: I built Our Green World to create a space where teenagers felt empowered to make a difference, no matter how small.

Sukruthi: I joined as the Communications Director. Our Green World created an opportunity to help high schoolers take small, sustainable actions for the environment.

Nanditha: Yes! I believe that we truly can make a large difference with small actions. A major part of creating Our Green World was knowing our audience. We focused on creating resources and initiatives that would actually make high schoolers want to participate.

Sukruthi: At our first meeting, we brainstormed ideas for our initiative focusing on small, sustainable actions high schoolers could easily do. I came up with the idea of a “Thrift Flip” Workshop. I really like fashion and was greatly inspired by all of the creative thrifters on my TikTok. During the workshop, students learned types of stitches—from basic to complex—and certain stitching patterns. We demonstrated how to do the sewing and talked about the impact of fast fashion.

Nanditha: While it may seem like something small, upcycling clothes can help divert multiple tons of clothing away from landfills and give them a second life. Students could go home and transform their own clothing.

Sukruthi: Nanditha and I are consistently working on creating more workshops with activities directed to the interests of the students to guarantee more long-term involvement in environmental sustainability from the high schoolers.

Nanditha: I’ve also worked with organizations like EcoRise to secure a grant for my high school. We plan to continue doing workshops to provide high schoolers with a space to make Austin more sustainable. Earlier this year, we also reached out to the City of Austin to discuss ways we can support their climate goals and partner with them to have more high schoolers working to make Austin greener.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

Nanditha: The most rewarding part of being involved in Our Green World is seeing how motivated my peers are to make a difference. Gen Z is definitely a generation working to make our world a better place—and the environment is no exception. I’ve talked to other teenagers and young adults in Austin about the ways they are making small changes in their lives to make our city greener. It empowers me to keep going because all these people making small differences are really going to make a major impact.

Sukruthi: For me, the most rewarding thing about getting involved is seeing how making a difference can be brought to a personal level. For example, my peers who attended our workshop were able to take the little skills they learned and make changes in support of our environment. Seeing this change in my peers and other high schoolers as they put more importance on saving and helping the environment has been really rewarding. 

Being part of Our Green World has also provided me with an incredible opportunity to meet many leaders in the environmental sustainability movement. This has inspired me to make everyone feel like what they contribute is always welcomed and valued. We only have one Earth, and I appreciate how our initiative can make people realize that and want to actively find personal ways they can make change—even if it is simple and small.

Nanditha: I’ve also been inspired by climate activists outside of Austin. All of them are working to make their community a greener place. As Our Green World works with more teenagers nationwide, I’m excited about the possibilities of personalizing our sustainability workshops to ensure every teenager feels like environmental activism is easily accessible. Wanting to help the earth should never feel impossible or out of reach.

What’s been the toughest part?

Nanditha: The toughest part for me has probably been turning awareness into long-term action. A lot of people care about sustainability, but keeping people consistently engaged beyond one event or post is difficult, especially as students balance school, extracurriculars, and everyday life. With Our Green World, one of the biggest challenges has been building systems that create lasting impact instead of short-term participation.

Sukruthi: I’ve found that the toughest part of running this initiative has been the advertising. Our target audience in every school has different interests. It is really important to align with those high schoolers' values and interests to design offerings that they will actually be willing to do in the long term. One way we’ve tackled this is by working with our ambassadors at different schools. They are able to assess which topics of interest that the majority of the students have, and then we are able to design an action plan to meet their needs.

Nanditha: I definitely agree. I think knowing your audience really matters, which is why Our Green World is made for high schoolers and the team behind it is mostly teenagers. This allows us to have a good understanding of how to actually communicate with our peers.

Our Green World intentionally focuses on small, consistent actions. What are some of the everyday actions you encourage people to take to support local sustainability?

Sukruthi: Our Green World focuses on small, consistent actions. Find simple hobbies and interests you can pursue in a sustainable way.

Nanditha: There are a multitude of small daily tasks anyone can do to help the environment. Host Thrift Flip nights to upcycle old clothes, create “low-waste challenge” weeks between friends, plant mini pollinator gardens at schools or apartments, or organize seed-sharing stations in libraries or community centers.

Sukruthi: If you go shopping, bring your own reusable bags. If you go to cafés, try finding a spot that will fill your own reusable coffee cup. I really appreciate people making small, easy changes that will eventually reduce plastic waste.

Nanditha: There are even bigger things people can organize in their communities like clothing swaps or a carpooling system. All these actions end up contributing to a better environment and also benefit our communities.

What’s your vision for our green world in the future? What about your larger vision for Austin?

Sukruthi: Our vision for Our Green World is to expand more extensively to schools in the U.S. and internationally. 

Nanditha: Yes! We want to continuously expand while still ensuring that we are maximizing our impact. The work we are doing in Austin has proven to be beneficial for the environment, and we believe that more communities can benefit from similar chapters in their area. We hope to communicate with like-minded people in other states and countries and work with them to create a larger network of environmental activists.

Sukruthi: We already have ambassadors and interns in other high schools that help us understand the interests of their student body so we can design environmental workshops for them.

Nanditha: In Austin, we hope to continue expanding to other high schools and work with the city to align our chapters with their climate plans.

Is there a book, documentary, or other piece of media you would recommend for folks wanting to learn more about these topics?

Nanditha: For students specifically, I think social media can also be a powerful learning tool when used intentionally. There are so many youth-led environmental organizations and creators sharing practical sustainability ideas, climate education, and local initiatives that make environmental action feel much more accessible.

What advice do you have for others?

Sukruthi: I encourage everyone to find a hobby they like and explore ways to pursue it in an environmentally sustainable way. I want students to take advantage of the fact that working towards a more sustainable future doesn't have to be difficult. It can be something enjoyable without costing a lot of time or money.

Nanditha: Yes! It doesn’t take hours and hours to make an impact. Small actions like Thrift Flips or using reusable water bottles make such a huge difference in the environment, and the same can be said for any other changes a person wants to make.

If you truly believe in something, it is your responsibility to advocate for it and work to help facilitate that change. Find other people who have similar thoughts, and together, you can make an impact in the world.

Dive deeper

Want to help build a greener Austin? Start where you are, with what you love. As Nanditha puts it: “If you truly believe in something, it is your responsibility to advocate for it and work to help facilitate that change.” For ideas and tips, follow Our Green World on Instagram. To discover more ways you can get involved, visit the Austin Climate Equity Plan!

Know a sustainability superstar?

Nominate them as a Net-Zero Hero by emailing Climate@AustinTexas.gov.