Environmental leaders received prestigious UNEP Champions of the Earth awards

The annual Champions of the Earth awards, hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) since 2005, were handed to exceptional leaders who have a transformative impact on the environment and represent bold leadership in taking action on behalf of people and the planet.

Awardees in 2021 were chosen from a record number of nominations in four categories: Inspiration and Action, Policy Leadership, Entrepreneurial Vision, and Science and Innovation.

“As we enter into a decisive decade, to cut emissions and protect and restore ecosystems, UNEP’s Champions of the Earth demonstrate that all of us can contribute. Every single act for nature counts. The entire spectrum of humanity has both a global responsibility and a profound opportunity,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

Andersen highlighted that this year’s Champions are women who ‘not only inspire us, but also remind us that we have in our hands the solutions, the knowledge and the technology to limit climate change and avoid ecological collapse’.

2021 Champions of the Earth:

Policy Leadership category - Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados

Awarded for her powerful voice for a sustainable world from the global south, she consistently raises the alarm about the vulnerability of Small Island Developing States due to the climate crises.

The Prime Minister is a driving force for climate action across the Latin American and Caribbean region. Under her leadership, Barbados has adopted ambitious renewable energy targets, committing to a fossil-fuel-free electricity sector and transport by 2030.

At the same time, Barbados is implementing numerous conservation and restoration projects, from forests, through cities, to the coastline and the ocean.

She also co-chairs the One Health Global Leaders' Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.

Inspiration and Action category - The Sea Women of Melanesia

The award goes to this organisation in recognition for their work in training local women to monitor and assess the impacts of widespread coral bleaching on some of the world's most endangered reefs using marine science and technology.

Science and Innovation category - Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda

She was the first-ever wildlife veterinarian of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and is a recognised world authority on primates and zoonotic diseases.

As the founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), she leads the implementation of three integrated strategic programs using the ‘One Health’ approach. Kalema-Zikusoka, says that she hopes she will inspire young Africans to choose careers in conservation.

“There is a lack of local representation among conservationists. Not many are from the places where endangered animals are found,” she said. “We need more local champions, because these are the people who will become decision-makers for their communities and countries.”

Entrepreneurial Vision category - Maria Kolesnikova, Kyrgyz Republic

She is an environmental activist, youth advocate and head of MoveGreen, an organisation working to monitor and improve air quality in Central Asia.

Under her leadership, the organisation developed an app called AQ.kg, which collects data every 20 minutes from the two largest Kyrgyz cities, Bishkek and Osh, about the concentration of pollutants in the air, including PM2.5, and PM10 and nitrogen dioxide.

“So often, you can get demotivated as an activist – you work so hard, don't see results of your endeavors and, finally, you feel like you don’t want to keep going. But then you realise, no. Someone has to take responsibility for the future. Why shouldn’t it be me?” Kolesnikova says about what drives her to make change.

This year’s award reflects on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which runs until 2030, coinciding with the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Headline image: Evgeny Tchebotarev from Pexels