Constantino Aucca Chutas’ interest in conservation began more than three decades ago with the fieldwork he did as a biology student in Cusco, Peru.
At the time, the breath-taking slopes of the Peruvian Andes that surrounded the city were under pressure from fires, illegal logging and expanding farms.
“Conservation became a necessity,” Aucca said recently during an interview with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). His calling to defend nature grew stronger at the urging of his grandparents, indigenous Quechua farmers. “They told me, look, your name is Aucca, it means warrior. Please try to do something for us farmers.”
Aucca has spent the past 30 years honouring that request and is leading local communities in a push to protect forests across South America, which are critical for fighting climate change and home to unique plant and animal species.
The Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), which Aucca founded in 2000, has planted more than 3 million trees in Peru and protected or restored 30,000ha of land.
For his efforts, Aucca has been named a Champion of the Earth for Inspiration and Action, the United Nations’ highest environmental awards.
Latin America and the Caribbean contain some of the world’s most biodiverse forest ecosystems, yet more than 40 per cent of the region’s forests have been cleared or degraded to make way for mining, agricultural and infrastructure projects.
Aucca’s community-led conservation has helped indigenous communities, a traditionally marginalized group, to secure legal rights to their land and establish protected areas for their native forests.
“Constantino Aucca Chutas’ pioneering work reminds us that indigenous communities are at the forefront of conservation,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “As some of the best custodians of the natural world, their contributions to ecosystem restoration are invaluable and cannot come at a more urgent time for the planet.”
Restoring highland and ‘cloud forests’
The Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos has mobilized thousands of people in Cusco to protect and restore ancient Polylepis forests, which once dominated the high Andes. Growing at up to 5,000m above sea level, higher than any forests in the world, these “cloud” trees play a vital role in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
They harbour endangered wildlife, store carbon, fix soils and help to capture water from the Andes’ melting glaciers which is then slowly released to farming communities downstream. From their high vantage point, Polylepis forests absorb mist and retain huge amounts of water from clouds, which is gradually discharged through moss cover to keep mountain streams flowing.
Vast areas of the Andes were once covered in Polylepis trees but only 500,000ha are left standing today as decades of deforestation for firewood, livestock grazing, logging, mining and roads take their toll. The loss of these mountain forests impacts water scarcity, affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.
To ensure the survival of future generations of indigenous farmers, Aucca’s association organizes tree-planting festivals in Cusco every year. The day begins with ancestral rituals derived from the region’s rich Incan heritage. Musicians blow conch shells and beat drums in honour of nature as villagers make their way up steep mountain trails to plant trees, some carrying bundles of seedlings on their backs – others, babies.
“When we plant a tree, we give something back to Mother Earth. We are convinced that the more trees we plant, the more people will be happy. It’s a celebration, a day of happiness,” Aucca said.
Giving back to local communities
In return for their efforts to restore threatened habitats and conserve birds and other wildlife, local communities receive help from Acción Andina to secure titles to their lands, which provides legal protection against exploitation by timber, mining and oil companies.
Aucca and his team have also created protected areas, brought doctors and dentists to remote mountain villages and provided solar panels and clean-burning clay stoves to communities to improve their quality of life.
Aucca’s vision for ecosystem regeneration goes beyond his native Peru. In 2018, the Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos and U.S. non-profit Global Forest Generation established Acción Andina to scale-up the community-led reforestation model in other Andean countries.
As President and co-founder of Acción Andina, Aucca now oversees plans to protect and restore 1 million hectares of critically important forests in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador, as well as Peru, over the next 25 years with support from Global Forest Generation. His work exemplifies the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’s call for global action to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation.
The common good
Studies show that restoring 20 million ha of degraded ecosystems in the Latin American and Caribbean region could yield US$23 billion in benefits over 50 years. Thriving ecosystems are also essential for keeping global warming below 2°C and helping societies and economies to adapt to climate change.
At the heart of Aucca’s work is his profound connection to his Inca heritage and the Incan principles of “Ayni and Minka,” a deep commitment to work together for the common good, which runs through plans to scale up reforestation in other Andean countries too.
“Once in South America we were the greatest empire, united by one culture, Inca culture,” Aucca said. “It was the first time we all came together. The next time we came together to create a movement was to free ourselves from the Spanish yoke, to seek our independence. Now we’re coming together for the third time. Why? To protect a little tree.”
About the UNEP Champions of the Earth The UN Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth honours individuals, groups, and organizations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. The annual Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour. It recognizes outstanding leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector
About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration The UN General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.
Nairobi, 22 November 2022 – The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today announced its 2022 Champions of the Earth, honouring a conservationist, an enterprise, an economist, a women’s rights activist, and a wildlife biologist for their transformative action to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation.
Since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has been awarded to trailblazers at the forefront of efforts to protect our natural world. It is the UN’s highest environmental honour. To date, the award has recognized 111 laureates: 26 world leaders, 69 individuals and 16 organizations. This year a record 2,200 nominations from around the world were received.
“Healthy, functional ecosystems are critical to preventing the climate emergency and loss of biodiversity from causing irreversible damage to our planet. This year’s Champions of the Earth give us hope that our relationship with nature can be repaired,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “This year’s Champions demonstrate how reviving ecosystems and supporting nature’s remarkable capacity for regeneration is everyone’s job: governments, the private sector, scientists, communities, NGOs and individuals.”
UNEP’s 2022 Champions of the Earth are:
- Arcenciel (Lebanon), honoured in the Inspiration and Action category, is a leading environmental enterprise whose work to create a cleaner, healthier environment has laid the foundation for the country’s national waste management strategy. Today, arcenciel recycles more than 80 per cent of Lebanon’s potentially infectious hospital waste every year.
- Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chutas (Peru), also honoured in the Inspiration and Action category, has pioneered a community reforestation model driven by local and Indigenous communities, which has led to three million trees being planted in the country. He is also leading ambitious reforestation efforts in other Andean countries.
- Sir Partha Dasgupta (United Kingdom), honoured in the Science and Innovation category, is an eminent economist whose landmark review on the economics of biodiversity calls for a fundamental rethink of humanity’s relationship with the natural world to prevent critical ecosystems from reaching dangerous tipping points.
- Dr Purnima Devi Barman (India), honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, is a wildlife biologist who leads the “Hargila Army”, an all-female grassroots conservation movement dedicated to protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork from extinction. The women create and sell textiles with motifs of the bird, helping to raise awareness about the species while building their own financial independence.
- Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet (Cameroon), honoured in the Inspiration and Action category, is a tireless advocate for the rights of women in Africa to secure land tenure, which is essential if they are to play a role in restoring ecosystems, fighting poverty and mitigating climate change. She is also leading efforts to influence policy on gender equality in forest management across 20 African countries.
Following the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), this year’s awards shine a spotlight on efforts to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation globally.
Ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean face massive threats. Every year, the planet loses forest cover equivalent to the size of Portugal. Oceans are being overfished and polluted, with 11 million tonnes of plastic alone ending up in marine environments annually. One million species are at risk of extinction as their habitats disappear or become polluted.
Ecosystem restoration is essential for keeping global warming below 2°C and helping societies and economies to adapt to climate change. It is also crucial to fighting hunger: restoration through agroforestry alone has the potential to increase food security for 1.3 billion people. Restoring just 15 per cent of converted lands could reduce the risk of species extinction by 60 per cent. Ecosystem restoration will only succeed if everyone joins the #GenerationRestoration movement.
About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
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.
About the UNEP Champions of the Earth
The United Nations Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth honours individuals and organisations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. The annual Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour. It recognizes outstanding leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector.
About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.
For more information, please contact:
Keishamaza Rukikaire, Head of News & Media, UN Environment Programme
Arcenciel (Lebanon), honoured in the Inspiration and Action category, is a leading environmental enterprise whose work to create a cleaner, healthier environment has laid the foundation for the country’s national waste management strategy. Today, arcenciel recycles more than 80 per cent of Lebanon’s potentially infectious hospital waste every year.
Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chutas (Peru), also honoured in the Inspiration and Action category, has pioneered a community reforestation model driven by local and Indigenous communities, which has led to three million trees being planted in the country. He is also leading ambitious reforestation efforts in other Andean countries.
Sir Partha Dasgupta (United Kingdom), honoured in the Science and Innovation category, is an eminent economist whose landmark review on the economics of biodiversity calls for a fundamental rethink of humanity’s relationship with the natural world to prevent critical ecosystems from reaching dangerous tipping points.
Dr Purnima Devi Barman (India), honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, is a wildlife biologist who leads the “Hargila Army”, an all-female grassroots conservation movement dedicated to protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork from extinction. The women create and sell textiles with motifs of the bird, helping to raise awareness about the species while building their own financial independence.
Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet (Cameroon), honoured in the Inspiration and Action category, is a tireless advocate for the rights of women in Africa to secure land tenure, which is essential if they are to play a role in restoring ecosystems, fighting poverty and mitigating climate change. She is also leading efforts to influence policy on gender equality in forest management across 20 African countries.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) received close to 2,200 nominations for its annual Champions of the Earth award in 2022, a new record. The UN’s highest environmental honour recognizes individuals and organizations from a number of fields, including civil society, academia and the private sector, that are blazing a trail in their efforts to protect our natural world.
To highlight the importance of ecosystem restoration, nominations of pioneers whose transformative action is healing our planet were encouraged, affirming that humanity has the ingenuity and ambition to protect the environment and reverse ecosystem degradation. This follows last year’s official launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a rallying call to urgently protect and revive ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. This year’s laureates will be announced on 22 November 2022.
Ecosystems support all life on Earth yet face grave threats. Every year the planet loses forest cover equivalent to the size of Portugal, with disastrous consequences for the climate crisis and biodiversity. Oceans are being polluted and overfished, with 11 million tonnes of plastic ending up in marine environments annually.
Yet the challenge is not insurmountable. People around the world are stepping forward every day to pioneer innovative ways to restore nature and secure a healthy planet for future generations. The Champions of the Earth are helping to lead that push. Their initiatives confront the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss and pollution and waste. They are a reminder that environmental sustainability is key to achieving sustainable development.
The Champions of the Earth award will celebrate visionaries in three categories:
The award recognizes individuals and groups who are taking transformative action to change the world. To date, 106 laureates, ranging from heads of state to community activists, to captains of industry, to pioneering scientists, have been honoured as Champions of the Earth. Last year’s laureates included Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, The Sea Women of Melanesia, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka from Uganda and Maria Kolesnikova from the Kyrgyz Republic.
In April 2022, Sir David Attenborough was recognized with the prestigious Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement award.
UNEP coordinates and hosts the Champions of the Earth award. UNEP’s reputation as the global, non-partisan authority on environmental issues is built from 50 years of ground-breaking scientific research that informs global environmental policy.
About the UNEP Champions of the Earth
UNEP’s Champions of the Earth honours individuals, groups, and organizations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. The annual Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour. It recognizes outstanding leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector.
About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The UN General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.
In 1987, the world came together to sign the Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to protect the Earth’s ozone layer. The accord was designed to phase out a host of chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), that were creating a continent-sized hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica.
Today, the ozone layer is healing, shielding the planet from the potentially devastating effects of ultraviolet radiation.
But while it may have slipped from the headlines, the ozone layer still remains under pressure, said Meg Seki, Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat under the United Nations Environment Programme.
“People tend to assume that the ozone hole is history, that we’ve done our job. Actually, we have a lot of challenges still ahead of us.”
In the lead up to the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which falls on 16 September, we spoke with Seki about the perils facing the Earth’s sun shield and whether the Montreal Protocol can be a template for fighting climate change.
The Montreal Protocol has been called one of the most successful global environmental agreements in history. Why?
Meg Seki (MS): The Montreal Protocol is so significant because it successfully tackled an emerging environmental catastrophe. When scientists alerted the world that there was a gaping hole in the ozone layer due to man-made chemicals emitted into the atmosphere, political and environmental leaders came together to address the problem. Today, more than 99 per cent of ozone-depleting substances have been phased out and the ozone layer is on a path to recovery.
What is the size of the hole in the ozone layer now compared to 1987?
MS: Because of the annual variability, the size of the hole goes up and down depending on the temperature in the stratosphere. So, we cannot predict this in advance but there’s a gradual but definite trend towards recovery.
How long until the hole is no more?
MS: Scientists estimate that the hole in the ozone layer will be no more by the 2060s. However, it’s very difficult to talk about complete recovery because the atmosphere itself is very different to what it was when there was no ozone depletion. Greenhouse gases, temperature changes and global warming all affect the dynamics and chemical processes in the atmosphere, impacting the recovery process. In other parts of the stratosphere, the ozone layer recovery is expected to be earlier.
Does climate change threaten to undo some of the progress we’ve made in repairing the ozone layer?
MS: This is a very complex issue. Ozone-depleting substances controlled by the Montreal Protocol are potent greenhouse gases that cause climate change, but we have managed to control and phase out their emissions. Climate change itself is causing changes in atmospheric circulation and temperature, which affect the depletion and recovery of the ozone layer.
The presence of greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide, and other pollutants in the stratosphere are also impacting ozone layer depletion. The Scientific Assessment Panel, one of three assessment panels under the Montreal Protocol, is constantly reviewing the state of the ozone layer and monitors the trends of ozone depleting substances and other gases in the atmosphere. The panel also looks into the linkages between stratospheric ozone changes and climate.
There are other challenges, too. The Montreal Protocol includes exemptions for some chemicals that may deplete the ozone layer. Other known ozone-depleting substances, like nitrous oxide, aren’t covered at all. Is it fair to say that the ozone layer isn’t out of the woods yet?
MS: Yes. Because of the Montreal Protocol’s success there’s been a lot of news about the ozone layer healing itself, which is great. But people now assume that the ozone hole is history, that we’ve done our job. Actually, we have a lot of challenges still ahead of us. First and foremost, we have the Kigali Amendment implementation to phase down HFCs and address energy efficiency improvements, especially in the cooling sector. Parties are also phasing out the remaining HCFCs and reducing the exempted uses where they can. Parties have also been looking into the sound destruction of banks of ozone-depleting substances that remain in end-of-life cooling equipment and buildings. Furthermore, although, nitrous oxide is not controlled by the Montreal Protocol parties are interested in understanding the magnitude of its impact on the ozone layer to see if any action needs to be taken.
How has the Montreal Protocol contributed to biodiversity?
MS: It’s clear that protecting the ozone layer meant protecting all life on Earth: ecosystems, human health, agriculture, wildlife – you name it we protect it. Without the ozone layer, too much harmful UVB radiation would have reached the Earth’s surface. This would have been bad news. Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer and eye cataracts, and damage crops, plants and micro-organisms, affecting ecosystems and food chains.
What lessons from the Montreal Protocol can be applied to tackling climate change?
MS: Ozone depleting substances were widely used in many sectors of our economy – cooling, electronics, firefighting, aerosols, medicine… and as fumigants in agriculture. Innovative measures and mechanisms were needed to ensure that the ozone-depleting substances that had become so essential to human life could be eliminated without disrupting the functioning of society.
To make this happen, all countries, developed and developing, collaborated in a global partnership, also with the full cooperation of industries and other stakeholders, to meet their respective responsibilities. The success of the Montreal Protocol should give us hope and some good lessons learned for tackling other global environmental issues, including climate change and the sustainable development agenda.
For more information, visit the United Nations Environment Programme Ozone Secretariat
The theme of this year’s International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on 7 September – the Air We Share - focuses on the need for collective action to address air pollution, which respects no national borders.
Polluted air comes from many sources – from cookstoves and kerosene lamps to coal-fired power plants, vehicle emissions, agricultural waste burning, industrial furnaces and wildfires. It has been called the biggest environmental health risk of our time, prematurely killing an estimated 7 million people every year. Air pollution is also fundamentally altering the Earth’s climate and contributing to biodiversity loss and other types of pollution.
Many individuals and organizations are fighting to ensure the air humanity breathes is clean. One of them is Maria Kolesnikova, Chairperson of MoveGreen, a youth-led movement working to improve air quality in the Kyrgyz Republic and the wider Central Asia region.
Kolesnikova, 2021 United Nations Champion of the Earth for Entrepreneurial Vision, started advocating for the right to a healthy environment after seeing a photo of the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek enveloped in smog. Not a single familiar landmark nor any signs of life - cars, shops, schools - were visible in the image, which horrified her.
Home to about one million people, Bishkek is amongst cities with the worst air pollution in the world. During winter months, it is often trapped under a dome of haze caused by burning coal, garbage incineration and vehicle emissions.
“We wanted to understand more about what was in the air that we were breathing, and what data the city was collecting in order to try and make things better,” said Kolesnikova. “But we didn’t find any relevant, actual data – either it was not being collected or it was not being shared. So, we decided to collect the data ourselves.”
Measuring air quality is crucial
When MoveGreen started to collect data on air pollution, it had only three sensors to measure air quality. Now it has over 100 installed in Bishkek and the region to monitor levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) produced by burning coal and other fuels, combustion, and dust.
Under Kolesnikova, MoveGreen developed the AQ.kg app, which collects data on the concentration of pollutants in the air, including PM2.5, PM10 and nitrogen dioxide. Air quality data is now available from almost a dozen cities across the country, including Bishkek, Osh and Jalal-Abad. By September 2022, MoveGreen expects the app to cover all regions of the Kyrgyz Republic, helping more people to make decisions about their daily activities, such as whether to go out or stay indoors. MoveGreen is also promoting environmental awareness across the country and advocates for more and bolder environmental-friendly policies.
Recognizing the threat air pollution poses between neighbouring countries, Kolesnikova and MoveGreen set up the Central Asian Air Quality Platform, bringing together government representatives, scientists, civil society and journalists from across Central Asia to collaborate on ways to tackle air pollution in the region’s growing cities. It is already working on a research database providing information on air pollution in Central Asia.
“Contaminated air poses a serious threat to the health of inhabitants of large cities in Central Asia and is one of the most pressing problems in the region,” Kolesnikova said.
According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in September 2021, Central Asian countries saw a rise in PM2.5 and ammonia emissions between 2010 and 2017. In February 2022, UNEP called on partners to work together to support the Kyrgyz Republic’s transition away from coal, which more than 70 per cent of the population rely on to keep their homes warm in winter.
Equipping young people with knowledge
Kolesnikova’s work with MoveGreen is driven by the desire to protect the health of citizens and work toward a better future for children and young people in the Kyrgyz Republic. In Bishkek, sensors were installed in schools to measure air quality so classrooms can keep their windows closed when air pollution is high. MoveGreen’s flagship initiative, “School Breathes Easily”, uses lectures and laboratory experiments to educate children about the importance of clean air.
Globally, 1 billion children are highly exposed to exceedingly high levels of air pollution that puts their health and development at risk. “It’s up to children and the young generation to decide which kind of world they want to live in. That’s why it’s very important for us to educate them on how to act, what to do,” Kolesnikova said. “Positive change starts from one person – it can start from you.”
Every year, on 7 September, the world celebrates the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. The day aims to raise awareness and facilitate actions to improve air quality. It is a global call to find new ways of doing things, to reduce the amount of air pollution we cause, and ensure that everyone, everywhere can enjoy their right to breathe clean air. The theme of the third annual International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, facilitated by UNEP, is “The Air We Share.”
UNEP’s Champions of the Earth honours individuals and organisations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. The annual Champions of the Earth award is the United Nation’s highest environmental honour. It recognizes outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector. This year’s laureates will be announced in late 2022.
