Tamil Nadu CM Stalin lauds Supriya Sahu for winning UNEP’s ‘Champions of the Earth’ award

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday congratulated Environment, Climate Change & Forests Department Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu for winning the prestigious UNEP award -- 'Champions of the Earth'.

In a post on 'X', the chief minister said Sahu’s "dedicated work" has secured "a special place for Tamil Nadu at the global level in climate action".

"I hope this award will serve as a major encouragement for her work to further strengthen our government’s laudable initiatives such as protection of wetlands, expansion of mangrove forests, conservation of endangered species and reduction of plastic use," he wrote.

The Champions of the Earth award is the United Nations Environment Programme’s highest environmental honour, presented annually to individuals and institutions for transformative impact in protecting the environment.

At an event held in Nairobi on Wednesday, Sahu was recognised for her pioneering and long-standing leadership on critical environmental challenges in India, including plastics and wildlife conservation, a release said.