Supriya Sahu wins United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Champions of the Earth 2025 award

Key facts

• Supriya Sahu received the Champions of the Earth 2025 award in the Inspiration and Action category for her subnational climate leadership in Tamil Nadu.
• She spearheaded the Cool Roof initiative that lowers classroom temperatures by five to eight degrees using solar-reflective paint.
• She led the Green Tamil Nadu mission, resulting in the planting of more than 100 million trees across the state.
• She guided the Tamil Nadu mangrove mission, achieving new plantings across 4,300 hectares and restoration across 2,200 hectares with local community participation.