The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced 7 recipients for the “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 Prize, Indian Entrepreneur Vidyut Mohan featured in the list for his Social Enterprise “Takachar”. The prize is given to global change-makers who use innovative ideas and ambitious action to solve the world’s most important environmental challenges.
The prizes are awarded annually to 7 Entrepreneurs below the age of 30 who have bold ideas for sustainable environmental change. Winners will be selected from each global region: Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, West Asia and two from Asia and the Pacific.
List of Winners of “Young Champions of Earth” 2020 Prize:
| Recipients | Country | Name of firm & Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Vidyut Mohan | India (Asia and the Pacific) | Takachar Harvesting Value from Agricultural waste. |
| Xiaoyuan Ren | China (Asia and the Pacific) | MyH2O A data platform that tests and records the quality of groundwater |
| Nzambi Matee | Kenya (Africa) | Gjenge Makers Low-cost construction materials from recycled plastic waste and sand |
| Lefteris Arapakis | Greece (Europe) | Enaleia Mediterranean cleanup. |
| Max Hidalgo Quinto | Peru(Latin America and the Caribbean) | YAWA Sustainable Technology for Access to Water |
| Niria Alicia Garcia | United States of America(North America) | Run4Salmon Indigenous Lead Conservation |
| Fatemah Alzelzela | Kuwait (West Asia) | Eco Star Trees for Waste |
Key Points:
i.The champions are decided by a combination of a global jury of experts and a competitive public nomination.
ii.The winners will receive USD 10, 000 in seed funding and training to implement their ideas.
“Takachar”:
Takachar – a social enterprise was launched in 2018 by Vidyut Mohan and Kevin Kung.
i.It enables farmers to earn extra income by converting waste farm residues into value-added chemicals such as activated carbon on-site.
ii.Takachar has worked with 4, 500 farmers and has processed 3, 000 Tonnes of Crops till now.
iii.By 2030, Takachar will impact 300 million farmers, and create USD 4 Billion per year equivalent in additional rural income and jobs, besides reducing 1 Gigaton of CO2 per year.
iv.The conversion of waste farm residue reduces air pollution and ensures a pollution free environment.
Click here to read more about the winners
Recent Related News:
i.On May 07, 2020, UNEPs extended the Bollywood actress & environmentalist Dia Mirza‘s term as its National Goodwill Ambassador for another two years till the end of 2022.
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Headquarter- Nairobi, Kenya
Executive Director – Inger Andersen
