Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Orlowski is a UN Environment Champion of the Earth for insipiration and action. 

Orlowski is the founder of Exposure Labs, which uses the power of storytelling to create impact. In 2012, he directed the climate-focused documentary, Chasing Ice, which has been screened in over 172 countries, 70 universities, over 75 film festivals, the White House and the UN.

His latest film, Chasing Coral, looks at the effects of ocean warming and coral bleaching on these vulnerable ecosystems. The award-winning documentary is the result of 500+ hours underwater, the creative application of cutting-edge technology, submissions of footage from volunteers from 30 countries, and support from more than 500 people around the world. It won the Sundance US Documentary Audience award.

Learn more about Champions of the Earth. 

Of the more than 100 videos we produced in 2017, here are seven that bring out some of the highlights of the year. 

On 18 February, we marked World Pangolin Day, which celebrates one of the planet's most bizarre - and endangered - species. 

In March, we launched the Clean Seas campaign at an event on the beach in Bali, Indonesia. The campaign is tackling the global challenge of plastic pollution in our oceans. 

In April, we launched Young Champions of the Earth, an initiative that aims to celebrate and support young people with outstanding potential to create positive environmental impact. 

For World Environment Day on 5 June, UN Environment's Goodwill Ambassadors Don Cheadle and Gisele Bünchen shared their favourite spots in nature and encouraged everyone to share the natural places that matter to them.

Mercury has devastating effects on human health and the environment. In September, countries united to adopt the Minamata Convention on Mercury to eliminate the use of the toxic substance in every corner of the world. 

In November, Lewis Pugh, UN Environment Patron of the Oceans, became the first person to complete a long-distance swim in the waters of South Georgia. His pioneering swim was made to urge leaders to grant full environmental protection for the Scotia Sea surrounding South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.

In December, we honoured seven new Champions of the Earth and celebrated the inaugural class of Young Champions. The gala evening was hosted by UN Environment Goodwill Ambassadors Dia Mirza and Ellie Goulding. 

Check out more of our videos on our YouTube channel. 

Nairobi, 5 December 2017 – Six inspirational environmental leaders today received the United Nations' highest environmental honour, the Champions of the Earth award, during the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.

President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, Paul A. Newman and his team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, American filmmaker Jeff Orlowski, bike-sharing startup Mobike, Chairman of Elion Resources Group Wang Wenbiao, and the Saihanba Afforestation Community were all lauded for actions that had a significant positive impact on the environment.

“As we face unprecedented threats to our environment, strong leadership at all levels is more important than ever,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “This year’s Champions embody the commitment, vision and energy we so desperately need.”

The awards were presented during the third UN Environment Assembly, which brings together over 4,000 heads of state, ministers, business leaders, UN officials and civil society representatives to tackle the global menace of pollution.

The 2017 winners received the awards for action in the following categories:

POLICY LEADERSHIP

Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile, for outstanding leadership in creating marine protected areas and boosting renewable energy.

In October 2015, President Bachelet established the marine park Nazca-Desventuradas in San Ambrosio and San Felix Islands, and a range of protected areas and marine parks in the Juan Fernandez Islands. She also extended protected areas in Easter Island. The total coverage is now over 1 million km², the largest in the world. Aside from marine environmental protection, her policies have seen renewable energy production surge from 6 to 17 per cent of Chile’s energy mix in just 4 years.

“Chile has shown the world that you don’t need to be a rich country to preserve the environment,” said President Bachelet. “I feel honored to be included in this outstanding group of people and grateful for being acknowledged as one of this year’s Champions of the Earth, the UN’s highest environmental recognition.”

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

Paul A. Newman & NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, for outstanding contributions to the Montreal Protocol – which has phased out 99 per cent of ozone-depleting substances and led to the healing of the ozone layer.

The first satellite instrument to measure ozone was put into space by the Goddard centre in 1970, and the first Antarctic ozone hole pictures were made using Goddard satellite data in 1985. Since the early 90s, the center has been instrumental in leading updates to the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, looking at how policies impact the atmosphere and setting a new high-water mark for international scientific cooperation. The ozone layer is now healing and will return to 1980 levels by mid-century. As a result, up to 2 million cases of skin cancer may be prevented each year by 2030. The Kigali Amendment to the protocol, signed in 2016, is now targeting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are climate-warming gases with significant global-warming potential. Action in this area can help avoid up to 0.5° Celsius in global warming by the end of the century.

“Ozone is our unseen natural sunscreen,” said Mr. Newman. “It’s crucial to understand and carefully watch this vital Earth resource.

ENTREPRENEURIAL VISION

Mobike, for exploring market-driven solutions to air pollution and climate change.

Mobike is the world’s largest smart bike-sharing company. After two years of operation, the platform claims over 200 million registered users across more than 200 cities globally, servicing over 30 million rides a day.

Air pollution is a massive problem, particularly in countries like China and India, claiming an estimated 6.5 million lives each year. Bike sharing is a crucial alternative to motorized transport, and companies like Mobike are leading the way in cutting out journeys that contribute to air pollution and climate change.

According to figures collated by the company, Mobike users have cycled more than 18.2 billion kilometres, avoiding 4.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to taking 1.24 million cars off the road for a year.

Every Mobike bike has a GPS tracker, and the company collects bikes that don’t move or are unused – although they are designed to be maintenance-free for four years. The company also has an incentive/disincentive scheme, giving bonus points for proper parking to encourage users to leave their bikes in designated areas.

 “It is a tremendous honour to receive this award,” said Mobike’s Founder and President, Hu Weiwei. “Combating climate change, through [pursuing] the United Nations sustainable development goals, is one of the world’s most important priorities, and we commit to using our technology and innovation to help governments and businesses join us in creating a pedal-powered green economy.”

INSPIRATION AND ACTION

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Orlowski, for his work on spreading powerful environmental messages to a global audience

Orlowski is the founder of Exposure Labs, which uses the power of storytelling to create impact. In 2012, he directed the climate-focused documentary, Chasing Ice, which has been screened in over 172 countries, 70 universities, over 75 film festivals, the White House and the UN.

His latest film, Chasing Coral, looks at the effects of ocean warming coral bleaching on these vulnerable ecosystems. The award-winning documentary is the result of 500+ hours underwater, the creative application of cutting-edge technology, submissions of footage from volunteers from 30 countries, and support from more than 500 people around the world. It won the Sundance US Documentary Audience award.

Chasing Coral’s impact campaign is driven by a central mission to inspire a new wave of climate champions in unexpected places, calling on people to arrange screenings of the film and take action to protect coral reefs that are dying across the world.

“The collapse of our reefs is an early, yet urgent warning of the threat posed to all ecosystems,” said Orlowski. “I hope this award can help reveal this elusive story hidden in our ocean to the world.”

Visit www.ChasingCoral.com to learn more. Both films can be streamed on Netflix.

Saihanba Afforestation Community, for transforming degraded land into a lush paradise.

Saihanba, which covers 92,000 hectares and borders the southern edge of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, had by the 1950s become barren due to excessive logging, allowing sand to blow into Beijing from the northern deserts. In 1962, hundreds of foresters began planting trees in the area. Three generations of these foresters have increased forest cover from 11.4 to 80 per cent. The forest now supplies 137 million cubic meters of clean water to the Beijing and Tianjin areas each year, while discharging c. 550,000 metric tons of oxygen. It has spurred economic growth with green sectors, generating USD15.1 million in 2016 alone.

“In the 55 years the farm has existed, people have been growing trees and protecting the forest like their own children,” said Liu Haiying, director of Saihanba Afforestation Community. “I believe that, as long as we continue to promote ecological civilization, generation after generation, China can create more green miracles like Saihanba and achieve harmony between humans and nature.”

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Wang Wenbiao, Chairman of Elion Resources Group, for a lifetime of leadership in green industry.

Better known in China as the “Son of the Desert”, Wang, 61, is the chairman of China’s largest private green industries enterprise, Elion Resources Group, with total assets of over USD 1.6 billion.

Wang bought the Hangjinqi Saltworks in the middle of the Kubuqi desert in 1988. He quickly realized that the saltworks’ financial woes, and the problems with livelihoods in the region, were down to the desert: sand interfering with production and making it difficult to transport products out.

He partnered with local communities and the Beijing government to combat desertification in the desert, which covers around 18,600 sq km in Inner Mongolia. Centuries of grazing had stripped the land, leaving around 70,000 people struggling to survive. Now around two-thirds of the desert has been greened and local communities have jobs and a more pleasant environment. UN Environment research estimated the project has a net value in ecosystem services of $1.8 billion dollars over 50 years.

The project shows how private industry can both turn a healthy profit and make a massive positive contribution to climate change, sustainable development and many other environmental issues.

“My only life goal is to combat desertification for a greener world, with more lush mountains with clear water, which I always value as silver and gold mountains,” Wang said.

In November 2007, Wang was elected as the Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and in 2008 won the China Charity Award. In January 2012, he won the title of ‘Chinese Model Worker in Green Work’ for the second time.

NOTES TO EDITORS

For hi-resolution photos of the laureates, visit UN Environment’s Flickr feed

Videos of the Champions will be uploaded here

About Champions of the Earth

The annual Champions of the Earth prize is awarded to outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector whose actions have had a positive impact on the environment.

Since being founded thirteen years ago, the awards have recognized 84 laureates – ranging from leaders of nations to grassroots activists – in the categories of policy, science, business and civil society.

Visit the website here: http://web.unep.org/championsofearth

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:

Robert Few, Head of News and Media, UN Environment, +254 715 618 081, unepnewsdesk@unep.org

• Kaya Dorey wins Young Champion of the Earth prize for her sustainable apparel business innovation
• Kaya is one of six inaugural winners from around the world to be announced throughout November
• Winners receive US15,000 seed funding, intensive training, and tailored mentorship to help them bring their big environmental ideas to life

22 November 2017 – The United Nations Environment Programme today announces Canadian fashion designer Kaya Dorey as a Young Champion of the Earth for introducing to market her unique apparel business that not only delivers on sustainability but also an urban street style for a generation wanting to end our ‘fast fashion’, wasteful consumerism.

Kaya, 29, is one of six young winners – each representing a region of the world – being awarded a prize by the United Nations Environment Programme and polymer-producing giant Covestro given to support outstanding individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who have big ideas to protect or restore the environment.

Kaya began her label, NOVEL SUPPLY CO., after her hunt for clothing that both suited her style and was made sustainably from natural fabrics, failed in her local shops of Vancouver. Her ‘conscious apparel company’ produces garments free from toxic dyes and synthetics, instead sourcing hemp and organic cotton and environmentally friendly inks.

The business is based on the ‘closed-loop’ philosophy of production, which strives for sustainability by improving economic and environmental goals simultaneously. To do this Kaya is creating a ‘take-back’ programme so that the company takes responsibility for the garments it produces when they are worn out, as well as ensuring there is a solution for any waste created in the manufacturing process.

Alongside sustainable manufacturing, Kaya’s dream is to establish an automated manufacturing hub for other local clothing labels. This automated process will have machines that both manufacture apparel and facilitate research on the composability of fabrics and the innovation of new, more sustainable fabrics.  

“No one really thinks about their $5 t-shirt and how that became $5. Garment workers are getting paid lower than livable wage and in terrible working conditions. We have this fast fashion problem, it’s made people think they’re going out of style every single week so they need something new,” says Kaya. “My vision goes well beyond just a clothing line; I really want to make sustainability cool. I want the aesthetic, the design, the creation of the garment to go beyond just a t-shirt.”

“Going forward we need to start caring about what is going into the actual product, that’s why I’m pursuing an automated manufacturing hub locally in Vancouver where we’ll be able to create more product and pay people more – it’s more ethical, it’s more just, and more efficient for businesses.

“I want to create a model that can be used all around the world so that we wouldn’t be taking away jobs, instead we’d be creating different, safer more ethical ones. We can’t do it on our own, it’s just about coming together to make these changes in the world.”

Head of UN Environment Erik Solheim says: "From boosting food crops in the Pacific to sustainable fashion solutions in North America, it's a delight to announce the first Young Champions of the Earth.

"The breadth of innovation and ambition shown by the inaugural winners is nothing short of exceptional, and proof that we must continue to channel support to the world's younger generation for the solutions we need to secure a sustainable future."

Patrick Thomas, Covestro CEO, remarked: “At Covestro, we feel strongly about giving young people opportunities to make positive changes that directly affect them and their own communities. Young Champions of the Earth has allowed this to happen via some amazing and exceptionally diverse ideas which help the environment and benefit the world we live in.

“Our employees have also embraced the competition by becoming mentors to our Young Champions, which tells us that securing a sustainable future is highly important for them personally and professionally. We are really pushing boundaries with this and will continue to support the great work of UN Environment.”

About Young Champions of the Earth

UN Environment and Covestro introduced the Young Champions of the Earth competition this year to accompany its long-running Champions of the Earth award, which recognizes outstanding environmental leaders from government, civil society and the private sector. This new, young competition recognizes the importance of supporting the innovation of the world’s newer generation to find lasting environmental solutions to the issues increasingly affecting them. 

Selected from more than 600 applicants, the six inaugural Young Champions represent each global region (Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and West Asia). Regional winners will be announced throughout November.   

What do the Young Champions receive?

Each winner receives the following: 

• US$15,000 in seed funding;
• Attendance at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, December 2017, and the United Nations General Assembly in New York, September 2018;
• An introduction to the world’s environment ministers at the Champions of the Earth Gala Dinner in Nairobi, December 2017;
• Publicity and recognition through online and global media;
• Access to high-profile mentors and customized training in communications, project planning, financial management and more.
• Participation in an intensive, one-week entrepreneurship course in Europe in the first quarter of 2018.

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Young Champions of the Earth website: www.unep.org/youngchampions
• Please click here for hi-res images of Kaya
• Please click here for a video link of Kaya’s story (2min53sec)

About UN Environment

UN Environment 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. UN Environment works with governments, the private sector, the civil society and with other UN entities and international organizations across the world.

About Covestro

With 2016 sales of EUR 11.9 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and sports and leisure industries. Covestro, formerly Bayer MaterialScience, has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 15,600 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2016.

For more information, please contact:

Robert Few, Head of News and Media, UN Environment, +254 715 618 081, unepnewsdesk@unep.org

2 December 2016 - Six inspirational environmental leaders representing government, research and grassroots action received today the United Nations' highest environmental accolade, the Champions of the Earth award, during a global conference on biological diversity in Cancún, Mexico.

The annual award recognizes outstanding figures from the public and private sectors and from civil society whose actions have had a significant positive impact on the environment.

From an indigenous activist killed for protecting the environment, to the world's largest beach clean-up organizer, this year's awards recognize bold visionaries who confront the defining challenges of our generation, such as climate change, marine litter and the depletion of natural resources.

Each of the laureates, in different ways, shows how shifting the world onto a path that is low-carbon, efficient, inclusive, and socially, economically and environmentally sustainable is not only possible, but already in progress.

The 2016 winners are:

FOR POLICY LEADERSHIP

H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, for outstanding leadership in fighting climate change and in national environmental action.

FOR SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

Leyla Acaroglu, founder of Disrupt Design, New York, Eco Innovators, Melbourne, and UnSchool, for dedication to positive change through design, innovation, communication and human connection.

FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL VISION

Masen - the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, for its commitment to advancing solar power, making solar energy affordable and innovative approaches to green financing.

FOR INSPIRATION AND ACTION

Afroz Shah, for outstanding leadership and initiative in mobilizing large-scale public support to remove 3000 tonnes of litter from Versova beach in Mumbai.

Berta Cáceres, recognized posthumously for her tireless campaign for the rights of indigenous people in Honduras and the protection of their natural environment.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

José Sarukhán Kermez, for a lifetime of leadership and innovation in the conservation of biodiversity in Mexico and around the world.

The head of UN Environment Erik Solheim said:

"All around the world, we have seen significant efforts to translate last year's historic sustainable development agreements into action, from the ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the New Urban Agenda to the intensifying of efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.

"But governments know they cannot do it alone, and this year's Champions have demonstrated the vision and engagement needed at all levels to improve our stewardship of the planet, to develop it sustainably, and secure the prosperity of all of its people."

About Champions of the Earth

The annual Champions of the Earth prize is awarded to outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector whose actions have had a positive impact on the environment.

Since being founded twelve years ago, the awards have recognized 78 laureates - ranging from leaders of nations to grassroots activists - in the categories of policy, science, business and civil society.

The awards will be given out as part of a high-level reception hosted by the Government of Mexico at the 13th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cancun, December 2, 2016.

NOTES TO EDITORS

For hi-resolution photos of the laureates, please visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHskMsbr2H

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Mohamed Atani, Regional Information Officer for Africa: mohamed.atani@unep.org - +254 727531253