By Kshalini Nonis 

Coji  Senanayake has gained recognition in Sri Lanka and overseas in an area that he is passionate about – advancing ocean conservation.

One of his recent achievements was when he won the Christopher Benchley Youth Award at what is termed the ‘Oscars of the Ocean’, the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards 2026 in the USA.

We had a chat with Coji Senanayake, a student and Founder of Cee Green.    

You have achieved a lot at a young age both in Sri Lanka and overseas. Can you briefly describe some of your recent achievements?

Last year, I was placed first in the Icon inter-school speech contest in Sri Lanka. I also got a chance to perform a monologue I wrote at Carnegie Hall last November, which was an amazing experience. This year I was selected as the youth recipient of the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards Christopher Benchley Youth Award, which was both humbling and rewarding at the same time.

What are the reasons for your interest and advocacy in advancing ocean conservation through research, public engagement, etc.?

My climate action journey began many years ago, when I was 9 years when on a visit to the beach, I saw a turtle washed up on shore that had died after suffocating on a plastic bag. I was really upset about that, especially since I have always loved animals.  Therefore, starting from that day, I began taking small, day-to-day actions to protect the environment on an individual level.

After starting with simple measures, I then wanted to broaden my impact even further. Therefore, in 2023, when I was 16 years old, I turned to climate advocacy and launched Cee Green.

Can you tell us about your recent achievement at what is known as the ‘Oscars of the Ocean’, the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards 2026, where you were awarded the Christopher Benchley Youth Award?

I was both humbled and immensely proud of this honour, and it made me even more determined to double my efforts to combat climate change and help preserve our oceans.

How did it feel to be in the company of eminent personalities such as Sir David Attenborough at the award ceremony mentioned above?

It felt amazing, especially since I got to meet eminent people like José Manuel Bolieiro, who is the President of the Azores, Dr Diva Amon, who is a brilliant marine biologist, and Congressman Jared Huffman; unfortunately, I did not get to meet Sir David Attenborough, but I did get to meet a wonderful representative of his, Kate Streather.

What are some of the books and games you designed for children with the theme being environmental protection?

To date, I have written two children’s books, one titled The ABCs of Climate Change, which explains climate terminology in simple terms, and the other titled Myrtle Burble and the Green Thing, which speaks of the dangers of plastic to marine life by way of a story about two young turtles. I also designed three jigsaw puzzles, and created a game, all with climate awareness in mind.

What were the short courses you did on climate change affiliated to the Edinburgh X, FXB Global, Stanford University, the United Nations, The SDG Academy and UNESCO?

I enrolled in many short courses offered by these esteemed organisations and learnt and continue to learn about climate change, environmental advocacy, and climate solutions.

What is the experience you gained from the courses mentioned above?

I learnt that along with problems there are solutions, and that no problem is insurmountable if we take the time to learn about them, and to find ways to translate this learning into concrete action.

Tell us about the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition where you got a Gold Award on more than one occasion.

I received the Gold Award for the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition in 2020, 2023, and 2024. I love the creative arts, and so I was really happy that my efforts were recognised in this manner.

Can you tell us briefly about your work experience?

Firstly, from 2022 to date, I have been serving as a Junior Fellow at Debate Spaces. I was also a part of the World Ocean Day Council Member for 2024/2025. In 2025, I also served as Youth Ambassador for the World Literacy Foundation and for the Hundred Organisation. To date, I am a Council Member of the Teach the Future Young Voices Programme and a part of the Future Blue Youth Council. Currently, I am also involved in the UNESCO Clubs Worldwide Multimedia Competition and serve as an ambassador for the Climate Cardinals.

Going forward, how do you hope to pursue your work in areas that are of interest to you?

Firstly, I plan to continue and scale up Cee Green’s operations to reach an even wider audience. I also want to channel my love of filmmaking and performing arts to produce movies and animated short films with environmental protection as their theme in the near future so as to reach a global audience.

Finally, despite still being a student at S. Thomas College, you have not merely excelled in your studies but also participated in numerous extracurricular activities. Furthermore, concurrently you have been involved in activities in areas you have a passion for. How do you manage to do all this?

I strive to manage my time and prioritise my day, as I believe we can all do anything we set our minds to.  I think one of my key strengths is a sense of resilience that I cultivated from an early age, because even back then I believed that we, ourselves, hold the keys to our future. I think I also realised early on that setbacks are temporary and that we should focus on that which is within our
control, and do our part and be the change we want to see.