The 2026 call is now closed.
The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour and celebrates individuals and organizations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment.
2026 Focus: Ocean Health
In 2026, the award focuses on Ocean Health. The 2026 call seeks nominations of individuals and organizations whose work delivers solutions to restore marine and coastal ecosystems, reduce climate risks, and create sustainable livelihoods.
Key focus areas
- Pollution prevention – Addressing pollution from source to sea, including wastewater, nutrients, chemicals, and sediments, through solutions that connect land, freshwater, coasts, and the ocean.
- Ecosystem protection and restoration – Strengthening ocean resilience, safeguarding and restoring coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, and other vital habitats, and reducing climate risks for coastal communities.
- Sustainable blue economies – Supporting fair and sustainable livelihoods that protect nature while advancing economic opportunity.
- Science, data, and cooperation – Expanding scientific research, data, finance, and regional partnerships, including through Regional Seas programmes, to accelerate collective impact.
Nominations were open to individuals and organizations worldwide and may be submitted under one of four categories: - Policy leadership
- Inspiration and action
- Entrepreneurial vision
- Science and innovation
Selection process
UNEP staff and subject matter experts carefully select Champions from a global pool of nominations. The nomination process is open to everyone, and past cycles have seen over 2,500 submissions from around the world.
Selection criteria
Nominees are evaluated based on:
- 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?
- Influence: How compelling and inspiring is the nominee’s story?
