- The United Nations Environment Programme announced today the names of the 35 regional finalists competing for the Young Champions of the Earth prize, the UN’s highest environmental honor for youth.
- A global jury will select seven winners, one from each region and two from Asia-Pacific. The winners will be announced in December.
- Winners receive US$10,000 in funding as well as tailored support to bring their ideas to life.
Nairobi, 20 July 2020 – The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today announced a shortlist of regional finalists for the Young Champions of the Earth prize. The global competition aims to identify, support and celebrate outstanding individuals aged between 18 and 30 with big ideas to protect or restore the environment.
The top 35 finalists – chosen from a total of 845 applicants across regions – were selected for their fresh approach to tackling the world’s most pressing environmental crises, with groundbreaking, scalable and innovative ideas.
From protecting indigenous Amazonian land through adventure travel, to converting harmful emissions into valuable commodities in the United States, to fishing for plastic in Greece and generating electricity from water in Nigeria, the finalists tackle a broad range of environmental challenges with potential to drive real change.
“Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cutting-edge solutions presented by this year’s Young Champions finalists are truly remarkable. It is clear that this pandemic did not shut down the fight for a better world. Instead, it has reminded us of what’s at stake in our battle for the planet, and highlights how building back better will help address the climate crisis and preserve human and planetary health,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.
“Young people all around the world are raising awareness about the wrong choices we have made and the impact of environmental destruction on their future.” she added. “We are committed to providing young changemakers a voice, a platform and the opportunity to make their journey a success, while inspiring millions more around the world.”
The seven regional winners will be selected by a global jury made up of UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen; the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake; UNEP’s Supporter for Creative Economy, Roberta Annan, and Chief Executive Officer of the UN Foundation, Elizabeth Cousens.
Each winner receives US$10,000 in seed funding, tailored support and access to powerful networks and mentors. The Young Champions of the Earth prize is sponsored by Covestro.
Short biographies of the 35 regional finalists and summaries of their ideas, including video pitches, are now available on the Young Champions website. The global jury will select the seven Young Champions in December and they will be celebrated during an awards ceremony together with UNEP’s annual Champions of the Earth.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Young Champions of the Earth
Young Champions of the Earth is a forward-looking prize celebrating young people with a big idea to protect or restore the environment, a vision for a more sustainable future and a strong track record of instigating change. They have what it takes to be a Young Champion of the Earth, they are unafraid of failure and believe in a bright future for our planet.
About Covestro
Covestro is a world leader in polymer solutions. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative products used in many areas of daily life, serving the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs more than 16,000 people.
About the UN Environment Programme
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
For more information, please contact:
Georgina Avlonitis, Young Champions of the Earth, UNEP
Keishamaza Rukikaire, Head of News and Media Unit, UNEP
