Women win all UN’s 2021 ‘Champions of the Earth’ awards
A Caribbean-based prime minister, a scientist, a group of indigenous women, and an entrepreneur were announced on Tuesday as this year’s winners of the United Nations’ Champions of the Earth awards.
The Champions of the Earth award is the United Nation’s highest environmental honour. It recognizes outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. Champions of the Earth inspire, defend, mobilize and act to tackle the greatest environmental challenges of our time.
For the 2021 prizes, UNEP received a record number of nominations from all over the world. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the all-female Champions were chosen for their impact and leadership in advancing bold action on behalf of people and the planet.
UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen, said the winners’ profiles “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. 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.”