Why in News ?IAS officer Supriya Sahu won “The Champions of the Earth 2025″ award, UN’s highest environmental honour. She has been selected in the “Inspiration and Action” category for her long-standing work on environmental challenges in India and received the award in Nairobi. Sahu currently serves as Additional Chief Secretary in Tamil Nadu government’s Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Forest.

About Supriya Sahu (IAS):

• Supriya Sahu is a 1991‑batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre and currently serves as Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, Climate Change & Forests, Tamil Nadu

Why she received the UN’s highest environmental honour?

She was awarded the UNEP “Champions of the Earth 2025” in the Inspiration and Action category for:

• Pioneering climate leadership in Tamil Nadu
• Large-scale afforestation and wetland restoration
• Sustainable cooling initiatives that strengthened heat adaptation
• Plastic waste management and wildlife conservation
• Creating 2.5 million green jobs through climate programmes
• Strengthening climate resilience for 12 million people in heat‑vulnerable regions

About the “Champions of the Earth” Award (UNEP):

The Champions of the Earth is:

• The United Nations’ highest environmental honour
• Awarded annually by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Awarded every year since 2005.
• Recognises individuals, groups, and organisations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment

Award Categories:

UNEP typically honours winners in categories such as:

• Inspiration and Action
• Policy Leadership
• Entrepreneurial Vision
• Science and Innovation