News

Twenty-eight-year-old Jenifer Colpas is Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Tierra Grata. It is a social enterprise that sets out to address the need for basic energy, water and sanitation services in Colombia.

Gator Halpern, Young Champion of the Earth for Latin America and the Caribbean and Co-founder of Coral Vita, has opened the world’s first land-based commercial coral farm for more resilient reef restoration in Grand Bahama.

By Miao Wang Our oceans are the largest carbon sink on the planet. This big blue diffuser, for decades helping to buffer the impacts of climate change, is finally giving way. It is sending us a signal, and we ignore it at our peril. 

When air pollution hit alarming levels in India four years back, 30 year-old Tamseel Hussain was watching. So passionate was he about documenting the issue, that he and a group of mobile storytelling and social media experts built the platform Let Me Breathe.

When thirty-eight-year-old Jasmine Shah moved to Delhi in 2013 and found himself engulfed in the city’s toxic winter smog, everything changed for him.  “This scale of air pollution in Delhi, and the fact that it is among the top ten most polluted cities in the world, resulted in my urgent call to tackle the issue,” said Shah.

By Hugh Weldon, 2018 Young Champion of the Earth for Europe We don’t talk much about air pollution. But we should, because the air we breathe is slowly killing us.

UN Environment announced today the names of the 35 regional finalists competing for the Young Champions of the Earth prize, the highest environmental honor for youth attributed by the United Nations.  The global jury will select seven winners, one from each region and two from the Asia-Pacific, and the winners will be announced in September. Winners receive US$15,000 in funding as well as tailored support to bring their

As the sun beats down on a traditional loom in Burkina Faso’s morning heat, a curious shiny material starts to emerge. Not your usual cotton texture, the weft criss-crosses over-and-under, and the woven product is smooth and sparkling.

“Being an entrepreneur is a challenge but also a great privilege,” says Egyptian musician and artist Shady Rabab. The Young Champion of the Earth for Africa is preparing to give a workshop in Morocco, at the General Assembly of Citizen Entrepreneurs and Organizations.

When was the last time you looked in your fridge and had to throw something away? For many of us, this is more common than we’d like to admit. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that, every year, a third of food produced does not even reach the table.

As Easter approaches, all over the world orders ramp up for chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs. But, have you ever thought about where chocolate comes from and its environmental impact?

Afghanistan is home to a vast number of rugged, snow-capped mountain ranges. But instability and conflict still disrupt daily life, and the Taliban maintain their grip on at least 60 per cent of the country.  

Jessea Lu is China’s freediving Champion. Freediving is a sport that requires little in equipment compared with scuba diving. All you need is a mask, a snorkel, fins and powerful lungs that allow you to hold your breath for as long as possible. And in the case of Jessea, a video recorder, since she films her diving experience to share the beauty of nature and raise awareness of ocean conservation.

An interview with Francesca O'Hanlon, founder of Blue Tap This year’s World Water Day on 22 March celebrates water for all. It is a human right to have access—without discrimination—to sufficient, safe, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use.  

This International Day of Happiness on 20 March reminds us that life is happier when we’re together. It urges us to focus on what we have in common, rather than on what divides us. One thing that has the power to bring us closer together is art. Art can also bring us closer to nature, helping to blur the boundaries between the “concrete jungles” of our cities and outside spaces.

“You are stealing our future.” When Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg first spoke out, she was alone. On Friday, 15 March 2019, she was joined by thousands of young people around the world, as demonstrations gathered momentum in the Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and beyond. They are speaking out and their voices are thundering: “Act now!” 

The movement is on. On the evening of the world’s largest global march of young people calling for climate action, we’re asking youth to talk to power. The “Speaking Youth to Power” evening dialogue and cocktail during the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, is an opportunity for young leaders to directly interact with a high-level audience.

Serge Attukwei Clottey is the founder of Ghana’s GoLokal performance collective. His work explores the cross-cutting themes of environmental protection and social justice. His concept of “Afrogallonism” is a celebration of the yellow gallon containers, initially used as cooking oil canisters and then recycled to collect water or fuel.

When Eritai Kateibwi won the UN Young Champion of the Earth award in 2017, he was thrilled. Mostly, because he wanted the award to draw attention to the plight of thousands on his sinking island.

We’re excited to welcome our seven 2018 Young Champions of the Earth to Kenya for the Fourth United Nations Environment Assembly. The seven prize winners, powered by Covestro, will join delegates in Nairobi from 11 to 15 March 2019 for a series of high-level meetings and events.

Wild for Life is UN Environment’s campaign against illegal trade in wildlife. International and national laws protect many species because their populations are at risk. If animals, plants or their parts are taken from the wild or killed, then they are part of the illegal trade. This trade is not only pushing species to the brink of extinction, it also poses environmental, economic, development and security risks.

The application portal for the Young Champions of the Earth prize, is open. We present you with the story of six environmentalists who are already making waves and changing the world.

Ryan Pandya and Perumal Gandhi are co-founders of a revolutionary start-up called Perfect Day. Their idea? To make dairy products without the help of cows. Perfect Day, whose name is inspired by a study which found that cows produce the most milk when listening to the song Perfect Day by Lou Reed, uses a process called microbial fermentation. The process creates all the proteins that exist in milk by using yeast.

Are you looking for opportunities to brainstorm concepts and think about how to tackle environmental challenges differently in 2019?

When Misha Teasdale left university, he wanted to explore the world before starting a career. But his decision to travel from Cape Town to London with five of his friends set him on a trajectory that was to change his life and world of work forever.