2025 Young Champions of the Earth award

Nairobi, Kenya, Sept 23, 2025: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the winners of the 2025 Young Champions of the Earth award, recognising three individuals from India, Kenya, and the United States for pioneering solutions to urgent environmental challenges.

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Award Details

• Eligibility: Individuals under 30
• Prize: Each winner receives $20,000 in seed funding, mentoring, and access to a global platform to scale their ideas
• The programme was relaunched in 2025 in partnership with American cleantech executive Chris Kemper

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Indian Winner – Jinali Mody

• Age: 28
• Company: Banofi Leather
• Innovation: Produces leather alternatives from banana crop waste
• Impact: Reduces the fast fashion industry’s environmental footprint by lowering water use, toxic waste, and carbon emissions compared to conventional leather
• Leadership: Women-led enterprise promoting sustainable and circular fashion

Other awardees are: Joseph Nguthiru from Kenya and Noemi Florea from the US.

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The Young Champions of the Earth programme, launched in 2017, continues to provide support, recognition, and resources to empower the next generation of environmental innovators globally.