A 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur is among the seven winners of the esteemed “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 prize, awarded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This accolade is a recognition for global change-makers pioneering innovative ideas and audacious actions to tackle some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues.
Youth Powering Environmental Impact
Incepted in 2017, “Young Champions of the Earth” by the UNEP aims to honor and back individuals aged between 18 and 30, who display exceptional potential to catalyze a beneficial environmental transformation. For 2020, seven Young Champions were chosen, each representing a global region: Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, West Asia, and two from Asia and the Pacific.
The laureates are set to receive USD 10,000 as seed funding, an invite to a high-level UN meeting, introductions to dignitaries at the Champions of the Earth award event, and publicity via interviews and global media.
The Winners Making a Difference
This year’s winners include Fatemah Alzelzela from Kuwait with her non-profit recycling initiative, Lefteris Arapakis from Greece working on Mediterranean CleanUp, Max Hidalgo Quinto from Peru with his sustainable water technology YAWA, and Niria Alicia Garcia from the USA, leading the indigenous conservation Run4Salmon.
Nzambi Matee from Kenya is recognized for her sustainable low-cost construction materials, Xiaoyuan Ren from China for her data platform MyH2O for clean water, and Vidyut Mohan from India for his enterprise Takachar, which focuses on getting value from agricultural waste.
Takachar: Converting Waste to Value
Takachar is a 2018-founded social enterprise by Vidyut Mohan. It aids farmers in preventing the open burning of waste farm residues, simultaneously enabling them to earn additional income by converting these residues into valuable chemicals.
By purchasing rice husks, straw, and coconut shells from farmers and transforming them into charcoal, Takachar helps in cutting down on debris that fuels fires, a significant contributor to climate change.
The Benefits and Potential of Takachar
Open burning of agricultural residues is a major source of air pollution globally, and this novel technology helps farmers turn waste into a resource, thereby cleaning up the environment. It allows rural farmers to increase their earnings by 40% by converting their crop residues into fuels, fertilisers, and chemicals like activated carbon on-site.
By 2030, Takachar aims to impact 300 million farmers affected by this issue, create USD 4 billion per year in additional rural income and jobs, and reduce one gigaton per year of CO2 equivalent.
About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Established in 1972, the UNEP guides and coordinates environmental activities within the United Nations (UN) system. Through its scientific advisory groups, the UNEP encourages international cooperation on environmental issues and provides guidance to other UN organizations.
Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the organization heavily involves the private sector to promote the sustainable use of the world’s resources. Some major reports released by the UNEP include the Emission Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, and Invest into Healthy Planet, along with campaigns such as Beat Pollution, UN75, World Environment Day, and Wild for Life.
Last Modified: February 9, 2024