CM Stalin lauds Supriya Sahu for winning UNEP's ‘Champions of the Earth' award

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday congratulated Environment, Climate Change & Forests Department Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu for winning the prestigious UNEP award -- 'Champions of the Earth'.

In a post on 'X', the chief minister said Sahu's "dedicated work" has secured "a special place for Tamil Nadu at the global level in climate action".

"I hope this award will serve as a major encouragement for her work to further strengthen our government's laudable initiatives such as protection of wetlands, expansion of mangrove forests, conservation of endangered species and reduction of plastic use," he wrote.

The Champions of the Earth award is the United Nations Environment Programme's highest environmental honour, presented annually to individuals and institutions for transformative impact in protecting the environment.

At an event held in Nairobi on Wednesday, Sahu was recognised for her pioneering and long-standing leadership on critical environmental challenges in India, including plastics and wildlife conservation, a release said.

Sahu was recognised for her pioneering and long-standing leadership on critical environmental challenges in India, including plastics and wildlife conservation, a press release said here on Wednesday.

The 2025 laureates are at the forefront of global efforts to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature, biodiversity loss, pollution and waste, demonstrating scalable solutions.

Sahu's most recent transformative work on sustainable cooling is highlighted as a model for a warming world, the release said.

Since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has recognised innovators and leaders who are driving transformative economic, political and societal change, fighting environmental injustice and defending natural resources.