UNEP Champions of the Earth Award – 2025

Source: UNEP

Context: Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, has won the UNEP Champions of the Earth 2025 Award for her leadership in climate mitigation, adaptation, and heat resilience.

About UNEP Champions of the Earth Award – 2025:

• What It Is? The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour, conferred annually by UNEP to individuals and organisations exhibiting exceptional environmental leadership.

• The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour, conferred annually by UNEP to individuals and organisations exhibiting exceptional environmental leadership.

• Established in: Created in 2005, the award has honoured 127 laureates so far, including heads of state, scientists, activists, youth groups, and grassroots innovators.

• Created in 2005, the award has honoured 127 laureates so far, including heads of state, scientists, activists, youth groups, and grassroots innovators.

• Key Features:

• Four Award Categories: Policy Leadership, Inspiration & Action, Entrepreneurial Vision, Science & Innovation. Focuses on climate justice, resilient buildings, methane reduction, sustainable cooling, and forest protection (2025 theme). Recognises innovative, community-led and scalable environmental solutions. Aims to motivate global ambitions aligned with the Paris Agreement and SDGs.

• Four Award Categories: Policy Leadership, Inspiration & Action, Entrepreneurial Vision, Science & Innovation.

• Focuses on climate justice, resilient buildings, methane reduction, sustainable cooling, and forest protection (2025 theme).

• Recognises innovative, community-led and scalable environmental solutions.

• Aims to motivate global ambitions aligned with the Paris Agreement and SDGs.

• 2025 Winners & Their Contributions: Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change – Policy Leadership

• Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change – Policy Leadership

• Youth-led NGO that secured a historic ICJ advisory opinion affirming states’ legal duties to prevent climate harm and protect human rights.

• Supriya Sahu (India) – Inspiration & Action

• Led Tamil Nadu’s pioneering work in heat adaptation, nature-based solutions, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable cooling. Her initiatives created 2.5 million green jobs, expanded forest cover, and benefited 12 million people, making Tamil Nadu a global climate leader.

• Led Tamil Nadu’s pioneering work in heat adaptation, nature-based solutions, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable cooling.

• Her initiatives created 2.5 million green jobs, expanded forest cover, and benefited 12 million people, making Tamil Nadu a global climate leader.

• Mariam Issoufou (Niger/France) – Entrepreneurial Vision

• Architect transforming Sahelian architecture with passive cooling designs that reduce indoor temperatures by up to 10°C without AC.

• Imazon (Brazil) – Science & Innovation

• Research institute using AI-driven geospatial tools to expose illegal deforestation and strengthen Amazon governance.

• Manfredi Caltagirone (Posthumous) – Lifetime Achievement

• Former head of UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory; championed global methane transparency.