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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced the winners of the 2025 Young Champions of the Earth Award, recognising three outstanding entrepreneurs from India, Kenya, and the United States for their innovative solutions addressing pressing environmental challenges.

About the Award

• Launched: 2017
• Relaunched: 2025, in partnership with Planet A, an environmental awareness initiative co-founded by U.S. cleantech executive Chris Kemper.
• Organised by:United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Objective: To empower and celebrate young innovators (below 30 years of age) offering scalable solutions to the triple planetary crisis — climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution & waste.

Each winner receives USD 20,000 in seed funding, mentorship, and access to a global platform to expand their innovations. They also participate in the Planet A Pitch Competition, with opportunities to win an additional USD 100,000 growth grant and a potential USD 1 million seed investment.

2025 Award Winners

• JinaliMody (India) – Founder, Banofi Leather
  • Innovation: Produces sustainable, leather-like material from banana crop waste.
  • Impact: Reduces water consumption, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions associated with traditional leather production.
  • Significance: A women-led initiative tackling the fast fashion industry’s environmental footprint while promoting circular economy principles.
• Joseph Nguthiru (Kenya) – Founder, HyaPak
  • Innovation: Converts the invasive water hyacinth from Lake Naivasha into biodegradable packaging and seedling wrappers.
  • Impact: Provides a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics while addressing invasive species management.
• Noemi Florea (United States) – Founder, Cycleau
  • Innovation: Developed a compact greywater reuse system that can retrofit household sinks, showers, and laundry units.
  • Impact: Converts wastewater into potable water using low energy, offering a scalable model for water conservation and reuse.

Significance

• The award exemplifies youth-driven environmental innovation, aligning with UNEP’s broader mission to foster sustainable solutions.
• It highlights global South participation, with India and Kenya demonstrating leadership in low-cost, eco-friendly technologies.
• The 2025 relaunch underscores growing private sector and media collaboration in advancing environmental entrepreneurship through platforms like Planet A.