Category:Champions of the Earth

Champions of the Earth: The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) established Champions of the Earth in 2005 as an annual awards program to recognize outstanding environmental leaders from the public and private sectors, and from civil society.

Award details Typically, five to seven laureates are selected annually. Each laureate is invited to an award ceremony to receive a trophy, give an acceptance speech and take part in a press conference. No financial awards are conferred.This awards programme is a successor to UNEP's Global 500 Roll of Honour.

In 2017, the program was expanded to include Young Champions of the Earth – a forward-looking prize for talented innovators, 18 to 30, who demonstrate outstanding potential to create positive environmental impact. The initiative is run in partnership with the Covestro, a plastics company. It is awarded every year by UNEP to seven young environmentalists from around the world between the ages of 18 and 30, for their outstanding ideas to protect the environment.

Awardees: Champions of the Earth 2021 Prime Minister Mia Mottley (Barbados) - Policy Leadership Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (Uganda) - Science and Innovation Maria Kolesnikova (Kyrgyz Republic) - Entrepreneurial Vision Sea Women of Melanesia (Papua New Guinea and the Soloman Islands) - Inspiration and Action David Attenborough - Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama (Fiji) - Policy Leadership Dr. Fabian Leendertz (Germany) - Science and Innovation Mindy Lubber (United States) - Entrepreneurial Vision Nemonte Nenquimo (Ecuador) - Inspiration and Action Yacouba Sawadogo (Burkina Faso)- Inspiration and Action Professor Robert D. Bullard (United States)- Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 Costa Rica - Policy Leadership Katharine Hayhoe - Science and Innovation Ant Forest - Inspiration and Action Fridays For Future - Inspiration and Action Patagonia - Entrepreneurial Vision Louise Mabulo - Environmental conservation 2018 Cochin International Airport - Entrepreneurial Vision Emmanuel Macron - Policy Leadership Beyond Meat - Science and Innovation Impossible Foods - Science and Innovation Joan Carling - Lifetime Achievement Award Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi - Policy Leadership Zhejiang’s Green Rural Revival Programme - Inspiration and Action 2017 Paul A. Newman & NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center - Science and Innovation Mobike - Entrepreneurial Vision Jeff Orlowski - Inspiration and Action Saihanba National Forest Park - Inspiration and Action Christopher I'Anson - General Champion Wang Wenbiao - Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 Afroz Shah - Inspiration and Action Berta Cáceres - Inspiration and Action José Sarukhán Kermez - Lifetime Achievement Leyla Acaroglu - Science and Innovation The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) - Entrepreneurial Vision Paul Kagame - Policy Leadership 2015 Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh - Policy Leadership Black Mamba APU - Inspiration & Action The National Geographic Society - Science & Innovation Natura Brasil - Entrepreneurial Vision Paul Polman - Entrepreneurial Vision 2014 Boyan Slat - Inspiration and Action Fatima Jibrell, Somalia - Environmental conservation Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - Policy Leadership Tommy Remengesau, Jr - Policy Leadership Mario José Molina-Pasquel Henríquez - Lifetime Leadership Robert Watson - Science and Innovation Sylvia Earle - Lifetime Leadership U.S. Green Building Council - Entrepreneurial Vision 2013 Janez Potočnik - Policy Leadership Brian McClendon - Entrepreneurial Vision Carlo Petrini - Inspiration and Action Izabella Teixeira - Policy Leadership Jack Dangermond - Entrepreneurial Vision Martha Isabel Ruiz Corzo - Inspiration and Action Veerabhadran Ramanathan - Science and Innovation 2012 President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Mongolia - Policy Leadership category Fabio Coletti Barbosa, Brazil (CEO of Grupo Abril) and Dr Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, United Arab Emirates (CEO of Masdar)- Entrepreneurial Vision category Bertrand Piccard, Switzerland - Inspiration and Action category Sander Van Der Leeuw, Netherlands - Science and Innovation category Samson Parashina, Kenya - Special Category for Grassroots Initiatives 2011 President Felipe Calderón, Mexico - Policy Leadership Category Dr. Olga Speranskaya, Russia - Science & Innovation Category Zhang Yue, Broad Group, China - Entrepreneurial Vision Category Louis Palmer, Switzerland - Inspiration & Action Category [co-winner] Angélique Kidjo, Benin - Inspiration & Action Category co-winner 2010 President Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives - Policy Leadership Category Taro Takahashi, Japan - Science & Innovation Category Vinod Khosla, India - Entrepreneurial Vision Category Prince Mostapha Zaher, Afghanistan - Inspiration & Action Category [co-winner] Zhou Xun, China - Inspiration & Action Category co-winner Special Award President Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana - For Biodiversity Conservation & Ecosystem Management 2009 Erik Solheim, Norway - Policy Leadership Category (co-winner) Kevin Conrad and the Coalition for Rainforest Nations, Papua New Guinea - Policy Leadership Category (co-winner) Janine Benyus, United States - Science & Innovation Category Ron Gonen, United States - Entrepreneurial Vision Category Tulsi Tanti, India - Entrepreneurial Vision Category Yann Arthus-Bertrand, France - Inspiration & Action Category 2008 Balgis Osman-Elasha, Sudan from Africa - For her work on climate change and adaptation in northern and eastern Africa. Atiq Rahman, Bangladesh from Asia and the Pacific - For his national and international experience in sustainable development, and environment and resource management. He is one of the leading specialists in the field. Albert II, Prince of Monaco, Monaco from Europe: For his commitment to sustainable development in Monaco. Under his leadership, Monaco is now applying an exemplary policy on CO2 reduction in every sphere of society as well as in the business sector. Liz Thompson, Barbados, from Latin America and the Caribbean - For her outstanding work at the national and international levels. She is one of the recognized leaders on environmental issues of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Timothy E. Wirth, United States from North America - For his work as the head of the UN Foundation and Better World Fund, he established the environment as a priority and mobilized resources to address it. Abdul-Qader Ba-Jammal, Yemen from West Asia: For his environmental policies as Minister and then as Prime Minister in Yemen. He established its Ministry of Water and Environment and the Environment Protection Authority. Special Prize Helen Clark, New Zealand - For her environmental strategies and her three initiatives - the emissions trading scheme, the energy strategy and the energy efficiency and conservation strategy. 2007 Cherif Rahmani, Algeria from Africa - For advancing environmental law in Algeria and for addressing the issue of desertification; Elisea "Bebet" Gillera Gozun, Philippines from Asia and the Pacific - for pushing forward the environmental agenda in her native Philippines by winning the trust of business leaders, non-governmental organizations and political decision-makers alike; Viveka Bohn, Sweden from Europe: for playing a prominent role in multilateral negotiations and her leadership in global efforts to ensure chemical safety; Marina Silva, Brazil from Latin America and the Caribbean - For her tireless fight to protect the Amazon rainforest while taking into account the perspectives of people who use the resources in their daily lives; Al Gore, United States from North America - For making environmental protection a pillar of his public service and for educating the world on the dangers posed by rising greenhouse gas emissions; His Royal Highness Prince Hassan Bin Talal, Jordan from West Asia - For his belief in transboundary collaboration to protect the environment and for addressing environmental issues in a holistic manner; Special Prize Jacques Rogge and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - For advancing the sport and environment agenda by providing greater resources to sustainable development and for introducing stringent environmental requirements for cities bidding to host Olympic Games 2006 Rosa Elena Simeon Negrin, Cuba Women's Environment & Development Organization Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, Ethiopia Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iran Mohamed El-Ashry, Egypt Tommy Koh Thong Bee, Singapore Mikhail Gorbachev, Russia 2005 King Jigme Singye Wangchuck and the people of Bhutan, Bhutan Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates Thabo Mbeki, South Africa Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Native Greek Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Canada Julia Carabias Lillo, Mexico Zhou Qiang and the All-China Youth Federation, China