I'm A Climate Optimist: An Easy Guide to Lead a Sustainable Life, book cover by Aakash Ranison
Penguin Random House

Published book · Penguin Random House India

The world needs
climate optimists.

An easy guide to sustainable living in India, without the guilt, without the overwhelm, and without giving up the things you love. Written by a climate optimist who has spent a decade on the ground in India.

India's First Carbon Neutral Book
on Recycled Paper
With Vegetable Ink
Penguin Books

Penguin Random House India

Available in Paperback and eBook

Buy on Amazon.in 32% off
Penguin India Goodreads Google Books
Climate optimism is not denial · It's the courage to act anyway · The future is still ours to shape · Climate optimism is not denial · It's the courage to act anyway · The future is still ours to shape · Climate optimism is not denial · It's the courage to act anyway · The future is still ours to shape · Climate optimism is not denial · It's the courage to act anyway · The future is still ours to shape ·

What's inside

Ten chapters. Nine sectors. Every part of your daily life, looked at honestly, with solutions that actually exist.

Chapter 01

Introduction

What it means to be a climate optimist, and why that's the only stance worth taking.

Page xv

Chapter 02

Food & Beverages

What's on your plate has more climate impact than almost any other daily choice.

Page 1

Chapter 03

Textiles

Behind your wardrobe sits one of the world's most polluting industries.

Page 49

Chapter 04

Transportation

EVs, trains, flights. The real climate math of getting from A to B in India.

Page 103

Chapter 05

Tourism

How to keep exploring the world without making it worse.

Page 143

Chapter 06

Tech & Digital

Your screen time and cloud storage have a physical footprint. Here's how big.

Page 179

Chapter 07

Home

The decisions inside your four walls that actually move the needle.

Page 231

Chapter 08

Beauty & Cosmetics

Cutting through greenwashing to what's actually clean.

Page 275

Chapter 09

Plastic

Understanding it clearly enough to stop feeling overwhelmed by it.

Page 319

Chapter 10

Our Beliefs & Choices

What we believe about our ability to change things, and what happens when we act on it.

Page 373

100+

Homegrown Indian businesses spotlighted: real companies doing sustainability right, across every sector in the book.

Go deeper

Each chapter closes with a curated reading list: books, reports, and tools chosen specifically for that industry, so you always know where to go next.

Written with 45 experts

45 leaders already building a sustainable world.

Every chapter was written alongside people actually working inside these industries.
Founders, editors, scientists, filmmakers, executives, not commentators from the outside.

Aindrila Mitra Rajawat

Editor-in-Chief, Travel & Leisure

Alison Barrett MBE

Director, British Council

Apurva Kothari

Founder, No Nasties

Chaitsi Ahuja

Founder & CEO, Brown Living India

Dia Mirza

Actor & UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador

Dr Tanaya Narendra

Physician & Science Communicator

Keegan Kuhn

Director, Cowspiracy & What The Health

Mahesh Babu

CEO, Switch Mobility

Manoj Kumar

Co-founder, Araku Coffee

Mehernaaz Dhondy

Editor-in-Chief, Grazia

Nikhil Arora

CEO, GoDaddy

Nikhil Kamath

Entrepreneur & Investor, Zerodha

Nikhil Taneja

Co-founder & CEO, Yuvaa

Piyush Pandey

Executive Chairman, Ogilvy India

Pradeep Sangwan

Founder, Healing Himalayas

Rahul Mishra

Couturier & Sustainable Fashion Designer

Ritesh Malik

Founder, Innov8; Trustee, Plaksha

Sahar Mansoor

Co-founder, Bare Necessities

Samrath Bedi

Executive Director, Forest Essentials

Santosh Iyer

MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India

Shradha Sharma

Founder & CEO, YourStory

Shriti Malhotra

CEO, The Body Shop

Sonal Ved

Author, Digital Editor, Cosmopolitan & Harper's Bazaar

Find their words in the book

+ 22 more contributors across food, science, fashion, policy, and finance.

What the press
is saying.

Featured in

Forbes India · Elle India · News18 · YourStory · Fair Observer · Outlook India · Penguin India · VeganFirst
Fair Observer

"The book adeptly encapsulates the myriad ways diverse industries exacerbate the crisis while empowering readers with a wealth of resources and actionable solutions applicable to their daily routines."

 Forbes India

"Aakash Ranison on his new book: whether social media is able to create impactful awareness around climate change, and how individuals and businesses can do their bit."

 YourStory

"Aakash Ranison's handbook shows a sustainable way of life, featuring the views of 45 industry experts and over 100 homegrown businesses."

 News18

"One of the most vocal advocates of sustainability and a leader of this revolution."

 Elle India

"For Aakash Ranison, time is of the essence in his effort to mitigate the ongoing climate crisis."

Reader reviews

What readers are saying

Verified Amazon.in reviews
4.32 on Goodreads

It's Not Just a Book, It Is a Guide For Living a Sustainable Life

"The author ensures that readers of all backgrounds can grasp the gravity of the problem. This demystification is crucial, as it empowers readers to overcome the sense of helplessness that often accompanies discussions on climate change."

A

Worth a read!

"Ranison talks to you as a friend, stating nothing but facts, educating us on what's happening, what needs our attention and what could be done to bring about change. Even the tiniest part of you that believes something is wrong with our environment should give this book a read."

K

Ketkee Mazgaonkar

Verified purchase · Amazon.in

Change begins with awareness

"The read is an eye opener. Facts that you cannot ignore are kept right in front of you. You can literally measure your carbon footprint, and how it just keeps on increasing with every single life decision you make. I believe change begins with awareness, and Climate Optimist did that for me."

T

One of the most well researched books on climate change

"Despite the sense of urgency in its pages it is far from doom mongering. It's rather hopeful in tone, an optimistic and enlightening read that is inspiring and sobering in equal parts. Reading this book is the need of the hour. Acting on it is even more important."

J
"Climate optimism doesn't deny the reality that we face every day, but it is a way of thinking that takes in the good and the bad and allows us to understand how we can change so that there is more good to focus on."
Aakash Ranison

Aakash Ranison

Author · Climate Optimist

I'm A Climate Optimist, book cover by Aakash Ranison

Ready to become
a climate optimist?

Pick it up on Amazon, or visit your nearest bookstore.
India's first carbon neutral book is waiting for you.

Penguin Books

Penguin Random House India

Available in Paperback and eBook

Buy on Amazon.in 32% off
Penguin India Goodreads Google Books