Five Africans among 35 finalists of UNEP Young Champions

21 / 07 / 2020

By Marwa Nassar - -

Five Africans were named among 35 finalists of the Young Champions of the Earth prize of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Each winner will receive $10,000 in seed funding, tailored support and access to powerful networks and mentors. The Young Champions of the Earth prize is sponsored by Covestro – which is a world leader in polymer solutions. .

The top 35 finalists – chosen from a total of 845 applicants across regions – were selected for their fresh approach to tackling the world’s most pressing environmental crises, with groundbreaking, scalable and innovative ideas.

The global competition aims to identify, support and celebrate outstanding individuals aged between 18 and 30 with big ideas to protect or restore the environment.

From protecting indigenous Amazonian land through adventure travel, to converting harmful emissions into valuable commodities in the United States, to fishing for plastic in Greece and generating electricity from water in Nigeria, the finalists tackle a broad range of environmental challenges with potential to drive real change.

“Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cutting-edge solutions presented by this year’s Young Champions finalists are truly remarkable. It is clear that this pandemic did not shut down the fight for a better world. Instead, it has reminded us of what’s at stake in our battle for the planet, and highlights how building back better will help address the climate crisis and preserve human and planetary health,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

“Young people all around the world are raising awareness about the wrong choices we have made and the impact of environmental destruction on their future.” she added.

“We are committed to providing young changemakers a voice, a platform and the opportunity to make their journey a success, while inspiring millions more around the world.”

The global jury will select the seven Young Champions in December and they will be celebrated during an awards ceremony together with UNEP’s annual Champions of the Earth.