The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced its 2023 Champions of the Earth, the United Nations(UN)’s highest environmental honour to recognise individuals, groups, and organizations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment.
- The 2023 laureates – a city mayor, a non-profit foundation, a social enterprise, a government initiative and a research council- are implementing solutions and policies to eliminate plastic pollution.
Note: The winner’s announcement coincided with the 3rd session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee scheduled from 13 – 19 November 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.
2023 Laureates:
| Category | 2023 Laureates |
|---|---|
| Policy Leadership | Josefina Belmonte Mayor of Quezon City (Philippines) |
| Inspiration and Action | Ellen MacArthur Foundation (United Kingdom) |
| Entrepreneurial Vision | Blue Circle (China) |
| José Manuel Moller (Chile) | |
| Science and Innovation | Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (South Africa) |
About Champions of the Earth Award:
i.The Champions of the Earth Award honours environmental pioneers driving global change since its inception in 2005.
ii.The award seeks to inspire action to protect the environment and ensure a more sustainable future for all.
- So far, the award has recognised 116 laureates: 27 world leaders, 70 individuals and 19 organisations including the 2023 winners.
iii.Champions of the Earth are celebrated in 4 categories: Policy leadership; Inspiration and action; Entrepreneurial vision; and Science and innovation.
About the 2023 Winners:
Josefina Belmonte Belmonte:
She is a mayor of Quezon City, Philippines, her efforts align with combating the climate crisis and ending plastic pollution.
- Her initiatives include bans on single-use plastics, a trade-in program for plastic solutions, and the establishment of refill stations.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation:
It has been instrumental in promoting a holistic lifecycle approach, particularly concerning the management of plastics.
- Notably, it leads the Global Commitment in collaboration with the UNEP.
Blue Circle:
It uses blockchain technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor the full lifecycle of plastic pollution.
Note: It is China’s largest marine plastic waste programme and has collected over 10,700 tonnes of marine debris.
José Manuel Moller:
He is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Algramo in Chile, which is a social enterprise that focuses on providing refill services to reduce plastic waste and lower the costs of everyday essentials.
- He is also in a role as Vice Chair of the UN Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, an initiative set up in March 2023.
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-South Africa:
CSIR utilizes advanced technology and interdisciplinary research to address challenges like plastic pollution.
- The organization is at the forefront of finding sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics.
About the #BeatPollution campaign:
i.UNEP launched #BeatPollution, a strategy for combating air, land, and water pollution globally.
ii.It highlights the impact of pollution’s effects on climate change, biodiversity loss, and human health.
Recent related News:
Mulubhai Bera, Minister of Tourism, Cultural Activities, Forest & Environment, Climate Change, Government of Gujarat, inaugurated the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) Live trading in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. With this launch, Ahmedabad became the 2nd city in India as well as in Gujarat to implement an ETS for particulate pollution after Surat (Gujarat).
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director– Inger Andersen (Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations)
Headquarters– Nairobi, Kenya
Established in– 1972
