While some of us are constantly struggling to get atleast one thing right in our lives, Dia Mirza has achieved numerous accomplishments in her life, too many to list in one sentence. From engaging in gardening, learning pottery, and enjoying bird-watching in her childhood days to today, where she works as a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, Ambassador Wildlife Trust of India & UN Secretary-General's Advocate for SDGs, her work projects have always been aligned with her belief in conscious capitalism, which is an approach emphasizing the idea that businesses can be a force for good in society, and that profitability and positive impact are not mutually exclusive.
Dia Mirza has gained attention not only for her professional achievements and global influence, but also for her unwavering dedication to sustainable living in today's world. Her wedding to Vaibhav Rekhi, being a sustainable, minimum wastage and no-waste affair. took the internet by storm. The wedding attire was carefully chosen by her to ensure that it could be worn repeatedly, as she finds it unfortunate that clothing is often designed to be worn only once and never again. Rather than giving extravagant gifts, they chose to purchase hand-crafted woven baskets from artisans in Meghalaya, along with plants. The décor was also planned with the intention of reducing the carbon footprint of transportation and ensuring that they would be recycled again once they were no longer needed.
Today, 'influencers' have wide-ranging traction among their following, often conditioning the latter's cultural and aesthetic tastes as well as their consumer attitudes. However, Mirza does not identify herself as an “influencer”, she prefers to think of herself as a sustainability advocate, aiming to shift consumer behavior towards a more mindful and intentional approach, rather than encouraging people to buy more. She believes that sustainability should not just be a trendy hashtag but a way of life.
Mirza is not driven by numbers or popularity but by the desire to use her platform to support young people, children, wildlife, and the planet, which she considers a privilege she values greatly. She frequently shares glimpses of her sustainable living journey on Instagram, urging her 5.3 million followers to support causes conserving the environment and protecting wildlife, aiming to leverage her reputation for a noble cause.
"If my work manages to influence even one person to switch to a metal bottle, a bamboo toothbrush or a sustainable hygiene product, my efforts will have achieved something worthwhile," she says.
