The United Nations Environment Programme’s 2025 Champions of the Earth Award has been given to Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department.

Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department, has won the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2025 Champions of the Earth Award.
She was honoured under the ‘Inspiration and Action’ category. The ‘Champions of the Earth’ award is the United Nations' highest environmental honour.
Supriya Sahu, a 1991 batch IAS officer, is currently serving as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Tamil Nadu government’s Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department.

Supriya Sahu’s contribution

By painting classroom roofs white to reflect sunlight, the indoor temperature is significantly reduced. With shaded areas, fresh air, and greenery, these measures reduce heat by up to 8°C.
Along with this, many “green schools” have adopted solar panels, efficient fans, rainwater harvesting, and growing their own produce.
She said, “She has led efforts to plant more than 100 million trees in Tamil Nadu and establish 65 new reserve forests, and under her leadership, the state has doubled its mangrove cover, increased its wetlands from 1 to 20, and launched a US$60 million endangered species conservation fund.”

Winners of 2025

The UNEP Champions of the Earth Awards 2025 honoured innovators in two categories: the Young Champions of the Earth (under 30) award was given in September 2025 to Jinalee Modi (India, Banofi Leather), Joseph Nguthiru (Kenya, Hayapack), and Noemi Florea (US, Cyclo) for sustainable solutions such as leather made from banana waste, packaging from invasive plants, and water reuse.

Champions of the Earth Award

It is the United Nations’ highest environmental honour. Since 2005, UNEP has honoured individuals and organizations working on innovative and sustainable solutions to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, pollution, and waste.

Major previous Indian winners:

Madhav Gadgil (2024): Ecologist honoured for lifetime contributions to community-driven conservation and policymaking.
Dr. Purnima Devi Barman (2022): Wildlife biologist leading the “Hargila Army” for the protection of the Greater Adjutant Stork.
Narendra Modi (2018): Prime Minister honoured for promoting solar energy through the International Solar Alliance.

Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award 2025

Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) scientist Parveen Shaikh won the Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award 2025 for innovative, community-based conservation of the endangered Indian Skimmer in the National Chambal Sanctuary.
Parveen Shaikh involved local communities living around the National Chambal Sanctuary, located along the Chambal River at the tri-junction of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, also known as the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, in conservation efforts for the endangered Indian Skimmer.
By 2019, after consistently low survival rates, Shaikh and her team tested community-led protection in some vulnerable colonies. The pilot projects were successful, leading to a full-fledged ‘Nest Guardian’ initiative.
Since 2016, a long-term study has been conducted on the Indian Skimmer population. It documented nesting behaviour, survival challenges, and threats caused by changes in river levels and predators.