Today the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) confirmed over 1,500 nominations from around the world were received for the 2020 Champions of the Earth award. The online nomination portal for the prestigious environmental award closed yesterday, after being open for two months from 21 January to 20 March 2020.
Established in 2005, Champions of the Earth is an award celebrating visionaries in four categories:
- Policy leadership,
- Inspiration and action,
- Entrepreneurial vision,
- and Science and innovation
The award is the UN’s highest environmental honour, recognizing the contribution of outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector whose works has a positive impact on the environment.
A team of UNEP staff and subject experts will now review and consider each nomination, creating a list of finalists. These will be sent to a high level jury who select the laureates. The awards will be presented to this year’s laureates at a ceremony later this year.
Last year UNEP honoured 12 environmental changemakers from around the world with the 2019 UN Champions of the Earth Award and the Young Champions of the Earth Prize.
Since its launch, UNEP has presented the Champions of the Earth award to 93 laureates, ranging from world leaders to environmental defenders and technology inventors. They include 22 world leaders, 57 individuals and 14 groups or organizations.
