As Supriya Sahu took the stage in Nairobi this week, she represented more than just personal achievement. Her journey embodies years of hard work in areas where climate change is already affecting lives.
Sahu recalls sweltering classrooms in government schools where children struggled to focus in the heat. She also remembers the Nilgiris, where wildlife was, alarmingly, feeding on plastic waste. This connection to both nature and community shaped her commitment to climate action.
On December 10, 2025, she received the UN Environment Programme’s ‘Champions of the Earth’ award. This honor recognizes her leadership in promoting sustainable cooling and ecosystem restoration, making climate action a priority in everyday life. According to UNEP, her initiatives have created about 2.5 million green jobs and assisted nearly 12 million people in adapting to rising temperatures in Tamil Nadu.
Sahu’s journey began in 1991 when she joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Her early experiences traveling across India fostered her love for nature. This passion turned into responsibility when, as a district collector, she witnessed wildlife consuming plastic—a sight that pushed her to take action.
In 2000, she launched ‘Operation Blue Mountain’ to combat single-use plastics in the Nilgiris. At that time, plastic pollution was not widely discussed, but its harmful effects were evident. For the past four years, Sahu has worked as the additional chief secretary for the Environment, Climate Change, and Forests Department in Tamil Nadu. Here, she has focused on integrating climate action with public infrastructure and education.
One of her notable projects, the ‘Cool Roof Project,’ aimed to lower temperatures in schools. By painting the roofs of 200 public schools white, she helped reduce indoor heat, allowing students to learn in a more comfortable environment. This model is being adapted for housing and other community spaces.
Her work has also had a significant impact on ecosystems. Under her leadership, mangrove cover doubled along the Tamil Nadu coastline, enhancing natural protections for coastal communities. Wetlands grew from just one to twenty, revitalizing areas that store water and support wildlife.
Sahu emphasizes that local communities play a crucial role in these conservation successes. “We cannot separate nature from people,” she says. Many of her projects blend environmental efforts with local living, such as thriving mangroves in industrial areas of Chennai.
Sahu’s accomplishments align with broader trends. The World Economic Forum recently reported that climate adaptation initiatives, like Sahu’s, can mitigate natural disasters. Communities that engage in sustainable practices tend to recover faster from climate impacts, making their resilience even more important.
Her story is a clear example of how personal experiences, combined with dedication to service and community involvement, can lead to meaningful change in our world.
Sources
UN Environment Programme, Published on December 10, 2025
Live Mint, Published on December 11, 2025
UNEP Press Release, Published on December 10, 2025
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Supriya Sahu, UN Champions of the Earth, Tamil Nadu climate action, sustainable cooling India, cool roof project schools, ecosystem restoration Tamil Nadu, mangrove restoration India, green jobs climate India, IAS environmental leadership
