Meet the 2024 Champions of the Earth
1. Sonia Guajajara (Brazil)-Policy Leadership
• First Indigenous female Minister of Indigenous Peoples in
Brazil.
• Advocating for Indigenous rights for over 20 years.
• Secured recognition of 10 Indigenous territories to combat
deforestation and illegal activities.
2. Amy Bowers Cordalis (United States)-Inspiration and Action
• Indigenous rights advocate and legal expert.
• Works to restore the Klamath River ecosystem and support sustainable fishing.
• Secures better futures for the Yurok tribe while protecting their rights and livelihoods.
3. Gabriel Paun (Romania)-Inspiration and Action
• Founder of Agent Green, an NGO protecting the Carpathians ‘
biodiversity.
• Exposed illegal logging of Europe’s last old-growth forests.
• Faced threats and attacks for his environmental advocacy.
4. Lu Qi (China)-Science and Innovation
• Chief Scientist at the Chinese Academy of Forestry.
• Key figure in reversing land degradation and desertification
in China.
• Led the world’s largest afforestation project through the Institute of Great Green Wall.
5. Madhav Gadgil (India)-Lifetime Achievement
• Renowned Indian ecologist.
• Influenced policies through research and grassroots engagement.
Seminal work in India’s Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
6. SEKEM Initiative (Egypt)-Entrepreneurial Vision
· Pioneers sustainable agriculture in desert regions.
• Promotes biodynamic farming, afforestation, and
reforestation.
• Transformed deserts into thriving agricultural businesses.