United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced 2023 Champions of the Earth Award
Champions of the Earth award honour individuals, groups, and organizations whose actions have transformative impact on environment.
Awarded annually since its inception in 2005, it is UN’s highest environmental honour which recognizes outstanding leaders from government, civil society and private sector.
To eliminate plastic pollution, 2023 award recognized in four categories.
- Policy leadership category: Mayor Josefina Belmonte of Quezon City (Philippines) to ban single-use plastics, a trade-in programme for plastic pollution etc.
- Inspiration and Action category: Ellen MacArthur Foundation (United Kingdom) in mainstreaming lifecycle approach, including for plastics.
- Entrepreneurial Vision category:
♦ Blue Circle (China) uses blockchain technology and internet of things to track and monitor full lifecycle of plastic pollution.
♦ José Manuel Moller (Chile) is founder social enterprise (Algramo) dedicated to providing refill services that reduce plastic pollution and lower everyday essentials costs. - Science and Innovation category: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa) uses cutting-edge technology and multidisciplinary research to develop innovations to tackle plastic pollution.
Every year, up to 23 million tonnes of plastic waste goes into aquatic ecosystems, thus polluting lakes, rivers and seas.
India’s initiatives to tackle plastic pollution
- Ban on identified Single Use Plastic (SUP) Items from 1st July 2022.
- Guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility through Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.
- India Plastics Pact launched in 2021.
- Project REPLAN (REducing PLAstic from Nature).
Read About: United Nation Forum on Forests (UNFF) Country-Led Initiative (CLI) hosted by India