2024 Champions of the Earth: Honoring Bold Environmental Leadership

The 2024 Champions of the Earth, the United Nations’ highest environmental honor, were awarded to six extraordinary individuals and organizations for their outstanding leadership, courageous actions, and sustainable solutions to combat land degradation, drought, and desertification. This prestigious accolade recognizes trailblazers from various sectors who are at the forefront of efforts to protect both people and the planet. Since its inception in 2005, the award has celebrated 122 laureates. This year’s focus was on champions restoring degraded land, increasing drought resilience, and preventing desertification.

Award Overview

• The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honor.
• Recognizes leaders from public and private sectors, civil society, and academia.
• Presented annually since 2005, with 122 laureates to date.
• 2024 focus: Combatting land degradation, desertification, and drought.

Global Context

• Almost 40% of the world’s land is degraded.
• Desertification and devastating droughts are increasingly common.
• By 2050, more than 75% of the global population could face drought impacts.

UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)

• Aims to prevent, halt, and reverse ecosystem degradation.
• Led by UNEP and FAO to revive billions of hectares of land and aquatic ecosystems.

Key Moments

• Awards announced on December 10, coinciding with Human Rights Day.
• Aligns with Resilience Day at COP16 of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Meet the 2024 Champions of the Earth

1. Sonia Guajajara (Brazil) – Policy Leadership

• First Indigenous female Minister of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil.
• Advocating for Indigenous rights for over 20 years.
• Secured recognition of 10 Indigenous territories to combat deforestation and illegal activities.

2. Amy Bowers Cordalis (United States) – Inspiration and Action

• Indigenous rights advocate and legal expert.
• Works to restore the Klamath River ecosystem and support sustainable fishing.
• Secures better futures for the Yurok tribe while protecting their rights and livelihoods.

3. Gabriel Paun (Romania) – Inspiration and Action

• Founder of Agent Green, an NGO protecting the Carpathians’ biodiversity.
• Exposed illegal logging of Europe’s last old-growth forests.
• Faced threats and attacks for his environmental advocacy.

4. Lu Qi (China) – Science and Innovation

• Chief Scientist at the Chinese Academy of Forestry.
• Key figure in reversing land degradation and desertification in China.
• Led the world’s largest afforestation project through the Institute of Great Green Wall.

5. Madhav Gadgil (India) – Lifetime Achievement

• Renowned Indian ecologist.
• Influenced policies through research and grassroots engagement.
• Seminal work in India’s Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.

6. SEKEM Initiative (Egypt) – Entrepreneurial Vision

• Pioneers sustainable agriculture in desert regions.
• Promotes biodynamic farming, afforestation, and reforestation.
• Transformed deserts into thriving agricultural businesses.

Summary/Static	Details
Why in the news?	UN Champions of the Earth Award 2024
Award Overviews	UN Highest Environmental Award
Category and Laureate	Contributions
Policy Leadership: Sonia Guajajara (Brazil)	Indigenous rights advocacy, recognized 10 Indigenous territories, combats deforestation.
Inspiration and Action: Amy Bowers Cordalis (United States)	River ecosystem restoration, sustainable fishing, Yurok tribe advocacy.
Inspiration and Action: Gabriel Paun (Romania)	Protecting Carpathian biodiversity, exposing illegal logging, facing threats for activism.
Science and Innovation: Lu Qi (China)	Reversed desertification, led afforestation projects, established research networks.
Lifetime Achievement: Madhav Gadgil (India)	Influenced environmental policies, engaged grassroots, Western Ghats conservation.
Entrepreneurial Vision: SEKEM Initiative (Egypt)	Promotes sustainable farming, afforestation, reforestation, and desert transformation.