Nominations for 2021 is now open.
Every year, individuals, groups and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the protection and restoration of the environment are recognized in four categories:
- Policy leadership
- Inspiration and action
- Entrepreneurial vision
- Science and innovation
Selection process
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Champions are selected from over global 1,500 nominations. These are received from the public nomination process.
A team of UNEP staff and subject experts reviews and considers each nomination, creating a list of finalists. These are sent to a high level jury who select the laureates. In 2020, the jury consisted of five leaders of United Nations and other international organizations.
The criteria for selection are:
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Impact - Have the nominee’s actions resulted in profound environmental gains or demonstrated significant potential for replication and scaling?
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Novelty - Has the nominee done or achieved something new and innovative?
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Power of the story - How compelling and inspiring is the nominee’s story?
Timeline:
20 January 2020 - The 2020 nominations opened.
March 2020 - Deadline for submissions. All nominations must be received by 20 March 2020, accompanied by appropriate supporting materials.
April 2020 - UNEP review. Winners are shortlisted, and a team of UNEP staff reviews the list of nominees and prepares a shortlist to be submitted before a global jury.
September 2020 - Award laureates are chosen. A global jury consisting of high-profile individuals from different United Nations agencies and international organizations reviews the shortlist of nominations and selects their winning choice in each award category. Their decision is final.
December 2020 - Laureates are announced. Winners are announced globally, recognizing their considerable achievement.
