The Earth Champions Foundation is a Charity (1143634) registered in United Kingdom.

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Global Impact Local Heroes

This is the only home we have, lets treat the earth with love.

5th June - World Environment Day

World Environment Day 2023 is a reminder that people’s actions on plastic pollution matters. The steps governments and businesses are taking to tackle plastic pollution are the consequence of this action.

There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of Climate Change if strong collective action starts now

Lord Nicholas Stern – Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change 2006

What is Earth Champions?

Founded in 2000, with the first award given by Nelson Mandela, the Earth Champions Foundation has been discovering 100’s of practical environmental practices that minimise the progress and impacts of climate change.

We want billions of Earth Champions all working on best practices that address climate change. Every step multiplied by billions of repetitions will have a major impact on mitigating climate change.

The Earth Champions Discovery Quest finds local solutions for climate change that can be easily repeated by individuals, communities, businesses and governments.

Highlights:

2000 : Australia.

The first award was given to 19 year old Gina Litton by Nelson Mandela at the launch of the Earth Champions Foundation (then Athena Foundation) just prior to the Sydney Olympics, September 2000. This was the beginning of our journey, and since then we have found many more wonderful Earth Champions, and we are still looking. — 2000 : Australia. The first award was given to 19 year old Gina Litton by Nelson Mandela at the launch of the Earth Champions Foundation (then Athena Foundation) just prior to the Sydney Olympics, September 2000. This was the beginning of our journey, and since then we have found many more wonderful Earth Champions, and we are still looking.

2001 : New York.

The Earth Champions program was invited to present to the UN Commission for Sustainable Development, on Earth Day April 2001. A large group from the UN school spoke about their hopes for the future. These children were inspiring and highlighted the importance of what we are fighting for, their future. — 2001 : New York. The Earth Champions program was invited to present to the UN Commission for Sustainable Development, on Earth Day April 2001. A large group from the UN school spoke about their hopes for the future. These children were inspiring and highlighted the importance of what we are fighting for, their future.

2004 : Switzerland, Canton Vaud.

The Earth Champions program was launched with Achim Steiner at the IUCN from October 2004 till June 5th 2005. The awards ceremony was held at the Olympic Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland which was exciting for all involved. An inspiring range of solutions to the planet's problems were unveiled by the cohort of champions. — 2004 : Switzerland, Canton Vaud. The Earth Champions program was launched with Achim Steiner at the IUCN from October 2004 till June 5th 2005. The awards ceremony was held at the Olympic Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland which was exciting for all involved. An inspiring range of solutions to the planet's problems were unveiled by the cohort of champions.

2005 : New York. Earth Champions Foundation and the UN Environment Program (UNEP) announced partnership using our brand name. Our founder, Fiona Mathews, spoke at the 1000 people event with Klaus Topher about the long term relationship. UNEP now sits on our International Advisory Board to evaluate the Champions.

2005 - 2009 : Australia.

Sir Crispin Tickell, Chair of the Earth Champions International Advisory Committee, went on a speaking tour to Sydney and Melbourne. On behalf of the foundation he met with industry leaders & politicians to discuss climate change, alongside other environmental issues, and rally support for transformative actions between 2005 and 2009. — 2005 - 2009 : Australia. Sir Crispin Tickell, Chair of the Earth Champions International Advisory Committee, went on a speaking tour to Sydney and Melbourne. On behalf of the foundation he met with industry leaders & politicians to discuss climate change, alongside other environmental issues, and rally support for transformative actions between 2005 and 2009.

2015 : UK, Bristol.

George Ferguson (Mayor of Bristol at the time) welcomed the Earth Champions Quest to be held during Bristol’s appointment to hold the European Green Capital for 2015 to 2016. The Foundation held a series of unique programs & Inger Andersen (then Director General of the IUCN) with Sir Crispin Tickell presented the awards to the Earth Champions. — 2015 : UK, Bristol. George Ferguson (Mayor of Bristol at the time) welcomed the Earth Champions Quest to be held during Bristol’s appointment to hold the European Green Capital for 2015 to 2016. The Foundation held a series of unique programs & Inger Andersen (then Director General of the IUCN) with Sir Crispin Tickell presented the awards to the Earth Champions.

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The Challenge

Our future lives depend and people and nations working together in the next 8 years

The Question

How can each of us make a difference by doing one thing today that is life supporting?

The Solution

Discovering the achievements of Earth Champions who serve as positive role models for youth and everyone at grassroots level and growing the circle of engagement and action by individuals, communities, businesses and governments.

Earth Champions Quest

Role models for the future: The Earth Champions® Quest is the Foundation’s major initiative. The quest identifies ‘Earth Champions’, who are people and organisations that have made a significant and positive impact on an environmental issue.

Local individuals, communities, businesses & government: The purpose of the Earth Champions® Quest is to inspire people, especially youth. City communities seek and nominate their own champions. Nominations for environmental excellence are assessed by a distinguished panel based

State of your local Planet

Measuring, auditing and reporting on the vital status of the local environment is crucial to the process of sustaining life as we know it now and for our future generations.

The State of the Local Planet Report monitors the status of indicators: Air, Water, Energy, Transport, Built Environment, Biodiversity and Waste Reduction

Knowledge Pond

Sharing of innovation in ecological best practices.Besides local environmental “heroes”, one of the most valuable outcomes of the Earth Champion programme is an ever-expanding Knowledge Pond®, which holds the ideas from every Earth Champion nomination worldwide.

Acting as a catalyst for technology transfer, the Knowledge Pond® is a tool for fostering global interaction. This on-line resource of environmental innovations across boundaries and will help to share solutions that can restore and sustain the planet.

One of the key success factors in the work of the Earth Champions is their highly participative approach, which creates ownership. Linking bottom-up concepts with policy top-down approaches is one of the key elements of their successful work. It demonstrates that the Earth Champions are a timely initiative, and one of the most important ones I know.

“I was surprised and inspired to see how many individuals and organizations are working for a sustainable future on our own doorstep in the Canton Vaud. The Earth Champions Award is a wonderful initiative that spotlights a grass-roots movement that can mobilize the local community to action for sustainability.”

Our desire is to maximize the impact of our respective awards programmes and to explore means of linking them to help achieve their full potential. As such I would suggest that we develop an agreement that identifies opportunities for UNEP and Earth Champions Foundation to promote and support one another’s award programmes and that furthers our shared goals through partnership and mutual recognition. There are a myriad of possibilities for such mutual support and promotion.