Tamil Nadu IAS officer Supriya Sahu has been honoured with the 2025 UN Champions of the Earth award, the United Nations’ highest environmental recognition, for her inspiration and action. The award was presented by the UN Environment Programme in Nairobi on Wednesday.
Sahu was recognised for her long-standing leadership in tackling critical environmental challenges in India, including plastics management and wildlife conservation. Reflecting on her work, she said, “My inspiration comes from people who stood by me from local villages, working to clean mangroves as their own, and from children who look up to you with hope in their eyes.”
Serving as Tamil Nadu’s additional chief secretary in the Environment, Climate Change, and Forests Department for over four years, Sahu’s passion for nature began in childhood while traveling across India with her family. She is particularly fond of elephants, which she sees as teachers of resilience, family bonding, and leadership, and frequently shares about them on social media.
Over her 30-year career in public service, Sahu has grown deeply aware of India’s rich biodiversity, as well as the damage caused by human activity. “I saw animals eating plastic garbage, and I realised that our planet is choking. That experience was transformational for me,” she recalled from her tenure as District Collector in the Nilgiris District.
The UN recognised Sahu for her pioneering work in subnational climate action, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable cooling initiatives across Tamil Nadu. Her projects demonstrated how integrated governance, nature-based solutions, and a mix of low- and high-tech interventions can protect vulnerable communities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the UN, her efforts have created millions of green jobs and positioned Tamil Nadu as a model for science-based, community-driven climate resilience.
Sahu’s initiatives have expanded forest cover, improved climate resilience for 12 million people, and introduced innovative projects such as the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company focused on coastal resilience, the Cool Roof Project implemented in 200 public “green schools,” and the planting of over 100 million trees. Under her leadership, the state has doubled its mangrove cover, expanded wetlands from 1 to 20, and launched the US$60 million Endangered Species Conservation Fund.
In Chennai, Sahu applies her nature-first approach to urban planning, continuing to integrate sustainable and climate-resilient practices into city development.
