UNEP's Young Champions of the Earth prize 2020

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Vidyut Mohan, an Indian entrepreneur named among UNEP’s Young Champions of the Earth prize 2020

Key highlights

Vidyut Mohan, a 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur is among the seven winners of the prestigious “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 prize given by the UNEP to global change-makers using innovative ideas and ambitious action to help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Vidyut Mohan, is the co-founder of “Takachar”, a social enterprise enabling farmers to prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by converting them into value-added chemicals like activated carbon on-site

About Young Champions of the Earth prize

Young Champions of the Earth aims to celebrate and support individuals aged between 18 and 30 who have outstanding potential to create a positive environmental impact.

It is the United Nations Environment Programme’s leading initiative to engage youth in tackling the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Seven winners were announced in December 2020.
The winners are given funding and mentorship to support their environmental initiative
Since its inception in 2017, 28 environmental trailblazers have been recognised from every corner of the globe.

What is the selection process?

Shortlisted finalists from every region will be selected following an open call for applications. A Global Jury will then choose seven winners.
Each winner is expected to implement their big idea and keep UNEP updated on their progress by producing videos and blogs that we will share on UNEP’s website.
Winners will also be given funding to support their communication efforts throughout the year, so that they can produce high-quality materials to share with our audiences.

In 2020, seven Young Champions of the Earth were selected from each global region: Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, West Asia and two from Asia and the Pacific. Each winner received: