NAIROBI: Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu, has been named one of the 2025 Champions of the Earth, the United Nations’ highest environmental honour, for her pioneering contributions to sustainable cooling and ecosystem restoration.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced five global laureates on the sidelines of the seventh UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi.
Sahu received the award in the Inspiration and Action category, which recognises individuals whose initiatives deliver measurable benefits for people and the planet.
According to UNEP, her climate interventions have generated 2.5 million green jobs, expanded forest cover and integrated heat-adaptation measures across public infrastructure, improving climate resilience for nearly 12 million people in Tamil Nadu.
Her work places the state at the forefront of adaptation efforts at a time when global temperatures are expected to exceed 1.5°C within the next decade.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen lauded Sahu’s leadership, calling her approach a template for cities and states grappling with worsening heatwaves.
“Even as the planet heats up, the world’s cities are warming ever faster. Into these concrete jungles, Supriya Sahu has brought the cooling spray of nature, helping millions of people, including thousands of schoolchildren, cope with the debilitating summer heat of Tamil Nadu,” Andersen said.
She added that Sahu’s work highlights the critical importance of sub-national leadership in driving climate solutions that curb dependence on energy-intensive air-conditioning.
Now in its 20th year, the Champions of the Earth award recognises individuals and organisations delivering transformative environmental change.
This year’s laureates include a Pacific Islands youth group that secured a landmark International Court of Justice advisory opinion on climate justice; architect Mariam Issoufou, recognised for climate-resilient design across the Sahel; Brazil’s research institute Imazon for AI-enabled deforestation monitoring; and a posthumous lifetime achievement award for methane expert Manfredi Caltagirone.
Accepting the honour, Sahu said, “I accept this award with deep humility on behalf of my team, whose work has brought me here, and on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, whose love and support have shaped my journey. Twenty-three years ago, as a young collector in the Nilgiris, I saw elephants and tigers foraging through plastic born of human carelessness. During the 2004 tsunami in Nagapattinam, I witnessed the miracle of mangroves shielding surrounding villages. From these moments I learnt a simple truth: nature protects those who protect her."
“I thank the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for his leadership on climate action and for giving me the opportunity to serve a state that has always been ahead of its time,” she added
UNEP noted that this year’s winners are addressing some of the world’s most urgent climate challenges, from methane reduction and forest conservation to passive cooling and legal empowerment of vulnerable nations.
As adaptation costs for developing countries are expected to rise to USD 365 billion annually by 2035, UNEP said the 2025 champions demonstrate that bold, innovative action remains both possible and essential.
The story is reported by SV Krishna Chaitanya of The New Indian Express
