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The SEKEM story begins in the Egyptian desert with a tent, a tractor and a piano.In 1977, the initiative’s founder, Ibrahim Abouleish, returned to Egypt after 20 years working abroad in chemistry and pharmacology.

Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil learned from a young age the importance of respecting the rights of the least fortunate.

Amid the rolling sand dunes and jagged stone pillars of China’s Ulan Buh Desert, hundreds of scientists are gathered at the Desert Forestry Experimental Centre.

Gabriel Paun doesn’t know how he’s survived this long.The 47-year-old Romanian environmental defender has been assaulted, stalked, threatened and driven off the road. After years of cataloguing illegal logging in Romania’s national forests, he says he has a bounty on his head.

An attorney and member of California’s Indigenous Yurok Tribe, Amy Bowers Cordalis has spent decades striving to restore the natural flow of the Klamath River in the United States.

  Alkalde ng Lungsod ng Quezon Matapos hagupitin ng Bagyong Ondoy (Ketsana) ang Kalakhang Maynila noong 2009, nabuo ang paninindigan ni Josefina “Joy” Belmonte, na noo’y bise-alkalde ng Lungsod ng Quezon, na pangangalagaan ang kalikasan.

José Manuel Moller (Chile), honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, is the founder of Algramo, a social enterprise dedicated to providing refill services that reduce plastic pollution and lower the costs of everyday essentials.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa), honoured in the Science and Innovation category, uses cutting-edge technology and multidisciplinary research to develop innovations to tackle plastic pollution and other issues.

Mayor Josefina Belmonte of Quezon City, Philippines, honoured in the Policy Leadership category, is driving environmental and social action through a raft of policies to combat the climate crisis, end plastic pollution and green the urban enclave.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (United Kingdom), honoured in the Inspiration and Action category, has played a leading role in mainstreaming a lifecycle approach, including for plastics.

Blue Circle (China), honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, uses blockchain technology and the internet of things to track and monitor the full lifecycle of plastic pollution – from collection to regeneration, re-manufacturing and re-sale. It has collected over 10,700 tonnes of marine debris, making it China’s largest marine plastic waste programme.

People around the world are stepping forward with innovative ways to end plastic pollution and improve the health of the planet. The Champions of the Earth are leading that push. They give us hope that solutions to plastic pollution exist and remind us that safeguarding nature is key to achieving sustainable development.

On a sprawling campus in Pretoria, scientists, engineers and researchers are hard at work in South Africa’s biggest and best-resourced laboratory complex. Hunched over microscopes, peering into petri dishes and meticulously recording test results, they have a shared vision: to improve the quality of life for all South Africans, as sustainably as possible. 

It was only when José Manuel Moller began living on the outskirts of Santiago in a low-income neighbourhood that he experienced what is known as "poverty tax" – the extra costs people incur due to their economic circumstances.

In a scene unchanged for generations, fishers rise before dawn to trawl the coastal waters of China’s Zhejiang province, hoping for a bountiful catch.These days, many are just as likely to return to shore with a cargo hold full of plastic as they are with fish.

Ellen MacArthur was only 24 when she secured a place in the history books by becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the world in 2001. Four years later, she broke the record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe, taking just over 71 days to complete the voyage.

Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte’s commitment to environmental protection can be traced to the aftermath of the worst storm to hit the Philippines in decades. 

Sir David Attenborough is awarded with the United Nations Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award by the UN Environment Programme Executive Director, Inger Andersen.

Every year, the world loses enough forest trees to fill Portugal. Much of that deforestation happens on Indigenous lands and often without their prior and informed consent.

The Champions of the Earth award honours individuals, groups, and organizations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. Thi