Mukesh Ambani and Anant Ambani hosted the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, at their home in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon. Photo Credit: Mumbai University
Climate change is a global problem, but many of the solutions are going to be local, Finland President Alexander Stubb said in Mumbai on Saturday (March 7, 2026), emphasising the need for collective action to address the issue.He was speaking to college students at the University of Mumbai campus after delivering an address on “Rebalancing the new world order: multilateral cooperation in the age of fragmentation”. “We need to set global standards and levels, and then try to invest in technologies so that there will be innovations to lead towards a more sustainable system. The truth is that our consumption of energy is not going to go down. So, the question is, how can we generate clean energy?” he said.Speaking about Finland’s clean energy strategy, he said the country had started investing in renewable energy, nuclear energy and hydro-energy several years ago.Mr. Stubb spoke about the current global order, adding that the current churn and a multipolar order should lead to a multilateral world. “The Global South has a big role to play in it,” he said.‘Dream, believe, work hard, succeed’Addressing the students, Mr. Stubb shared what he called a simple message for young people. “Dream, believe, work hard and succeed. Dream is something all of us should have. You should dream big. Realise that not all those dreams will be fulfilled. But don’t let anyone tell you, it is not possible,” he said. Emphasising the importance of self-belief, he said, “There are so many things in the world today that try to put you down. Don’t allow that to bring you down. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.”Encouraging students to work hard, he said, being uncomfortable and pushed to the limits was not necessarily “a bad thing”.Defining success as creating meaning in life, he said it was important to do something that had an impact. “By success, I do not mean societal status or a title. I do not mean wealth. For me—and especially for all you students—success is defined by meaning. Meaning comes from the fact that you do something in your day-to-day life which has an impact, which you believe is important. That will lead to a happy life. But don’t be too hard on yourself,” he said, adding that these were the messages he had shared with his own children, who are 22 and 24 years old.Fitness mantraIn a rare personal moment, Mr. Stubb spoke about his fitness routine and advised the students to treat health as a holistic concept. An accomplished Ironman triathlete, he has completed races in under 10 hours to win titles in his age group. “I firmly believe in the balance between body and mind. If I feel physically fit, it feeds my brain. One hour of exercise gives you two more hours of energy every day,” he said.Emphasising the importance of sound sleep for eight hours a day, he warned that lack of sleep could lead to a fast burnout and mental diseases. He also advised students to keep learning new things to stay mentally alert and to pay attention to daily nutrition.Mr. Stubb has been on a State visit to India since March 4 and was the chief guest for this year’s Raisina Dialogue. In New Delhi, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two countries signed a series of agreements before Mr. Stubb travelled to Mumbai to interact with industry leaders and students. Published - March 07, 2026 10:26 pm IST
