Deadline: 20 March 2020
Nominations are now open for the 2020 Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honour, aiming to recognize the contribution of outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector whose actions have had a positive impact on the environment.
The UN Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth award is the world’s flagship environmental honor. Since 2005, they have recognized heroes who inspire, encourage others to join them, and defend a cleaner future.
Since 2005, Champions of the Earth has recognized 93 laureates, ranging from world leaders to technology inventors. They include 22 world leaders, 57 individuals and 14 groups or organizations. These trailblazers are making a difference to protect our planet for the next generation.
From grassroots champions and corporate leaders to political pioneers, they celebrate champions taking bold action for the world.
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
Categories
Champions of the Earth are celebrated in four categories:
- Policy leadership – individuals or organizations in the public sector leading global or national action for the environment. They shape dialogue, lead commitments and act for the good of the planet.
- Inspiration and action – individuals or organizations taking bold steps to inspire positive change to protect the world. They lead by example, challenge behavior and inspire millions.
- Entrepreneurial vision – individuals or organizations challenging the status quo to build a cleaner future. They build systems, create new technology and spearhead a groundbreaking vision.
- Science and innovation – individuals or organizations who push the boundaries of technology for profound environmental benefit. They invent possibilities for a more sustainable world.
Selection Criteria
The criteria for selection are:
- Impact – Have the nominee’s actions resulted in profound environmental gains or demonstrated significant potential for replication and scaling?
- Novelty – Has the nominee done or achieved something new and innovative?
- Power of the story – How compelling and inspiring is the nominee’s story?
The 2019 Champions of the Earth were: The nation of Costa Rica, for Policy Leadership; Ant Forest, a Chinese mini-programme and tree-planting initiative, and the climate youth movement, Fridays for Future, in the category of Inspiration and action; Professor Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist from Texas Tech University in the Science and innovation category; and outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, in the category of Entrepreneurial vision.
For more information, visit https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/nominations-open-uneps-champions-earth-award-2020