Indian official among UNEP’s 2025 Champions of the Earth

UNEP has announced the 2025 Champions of the Earth, naming five leaders whose work ranges from climate justice and sustainable cooling to forest protection and methane mitigation. Among the awardees is Supriya Sahu of India, recognised for her role in strengthening heat adaptation and ecosystem restoration in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu has emerged as one of the most active Indian states on climate resilience, particularly in regions where high temperatures place everyday life under strain. As Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forest, Sahu has guided a portfolio that links cooling, urban planning and ecological recovery in order to protect families most affected by rising heat.

One of her initiative is the Cool Roof Project, now introduced in 200 public "green schools." By using reflective white roofs, shading and natural ventilation, the initiative lowers indoor temperatures by five to eight degrees. This gives children safer learning conditions through the hottest months. The same approach is now being extended to social housing developments, offering meaningful relief to households without access to air conditioning and reducing future energy use for those who may install cooling devices later.

Her wider programme of nature based solutions has also reshaped how the state prepares for climate impacts. Under her leadership, Tamil Nadu has planted more than 100 million trees, created 65 new reserve forests, doubled its mangrove cover and expanded its wetlands from one site to twenty. These measures restore natural buffers, improve water security and support biodiversity in fast growing districts. A dedicated conservation fund now anchors long term protection for endangered species in the state.

Sahu is one of five laureates in the 2025 Champions of the Earth awards. This year’s cohort includes Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, a youth led NGO that secured a landmark opinion from the International Court of Justice on states’ climate obligations, Mariam Issoufou, an architect advancing climate resilient design in the Sahel, Imazon, a Brazilian research institute using science and AI based monitoring to curb deforestation, and Manfredi Caltagirone, honoured posthumously for his leadership on global methane transparency. The award, now in its twentieth year, is the highest environmental honour of the United Nations.

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