❖ The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour and recognizes pioneers from the public and private sectors, civil society and academia.

❖ It has been presented annually since 2005, with122 laureates to date.

❖ This year’s winners o Sonia Guajajara, Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples.

o Amy Bowers Cordalis, an Indigenous rights advocates.

o Gabriel Paun, a Romanian environmental defender

o Madhav Gadgil, an Indian ecologist

o The SEKEM initiative in Egypt.