What Is Young Champions of the Earth?
Young Champions of the Earth is the United Nations Environment Programme's flagship prize for young environmental leaders. Each year, seven winners are selected from across the globe — one from each UN region — and recognised for their innovative, scalable solutions to the world's most pressing environmental challenges.
Winners receive $10,000 in seed funding, mentorship from global experts, and a platform at major UN events. It is one of the most prestigious environmental awards a young person can receive, and it places winners in a global community of UN-recognised environmental leaders.
The Prize
- $10,000 seed funding to grow your environmental initiative
- Mentorship from global environmental experts and UN advisors
- Global platform at major international environmental events and summits
- UN recognition — a credential that opens doors to governments, investors, and partner organisations
- Global community of past Young Champions and UNEP's wider network
Eligibility — Who Can Apply?
- Age: 18–30 years old.
- Location: Open worldwide. Winners are selected across UN regions to ensure global representation.
- Stage: You must have a concrete, innovative environmental solution that is already underway — not just an idea on paper.
- Impact potential: Your solution must demonstrate the potential for significant, scalable environmental impact.
- Readiness: You should be ready to use the prize to scale your initiative.
The Seven UN Regions
One winner is selected from each UN region, ensuring global representation:
- Africa
- Asia and the Pacific
- Europe
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- North America
- Western Asia
- Global (cross-regional or special category)
What UNEP Looks For
The selection panel evaluates applications on several dimensions:
- Innovation: Is your solution a genuinely new approach to an environmental problem?
- Impact: What environmental outcome has your solution already achieved, and what could it achieve with funding?
- Scalability: Can your solution be expanded to other regions or replicated by others?
- Feasibility: Is your plan realistic, and are you the right person to lead it?
- Alignment with UN goals: Does your work advance the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to climate, biodiversity, and pollution?
Timeline
- February–March: Applications typically open.
- April: Application deadline (applications for the 2026 cycle closed in April 2025).
- May–July: Shortlisting and interviews.
- August–September: Winners announced and celebrated at a major UN event.
Check the official UNEP Young Champions page for the next application window, as dates can shift year to year.
How to Build a Winning Application
Show Real, Documented Impact
UNEP wants to see that your solution is already working. Use data: "Our initiative has diverted 5 tonnes of plastic from landfill in 6 months" beats "our initiative could reduce plastic waste."
Demonstrate Scalability
Explain exactly how the $10,000 will help you scale. A clear, specific growth plan — new villages, new schools, new regions — shows you're ready for the prize.
Connect to the SDGs
Frame your work within the Sustainable Development Goals. This shows alignment with the UN's own framework and makes your application easier for the panel to evaluate.
Tell a Compelling Story
UNEP receives hundreds of applications. A clear narrative — the problem you saw, why you cared, what you did, and what changed — makes yours memorable.
How KCS Foundation Projects Support Your Application
Because Young Champions of the Earth requires an existing, underway environmental solution, a KCS Foundation partnership gives you a decisive advantage:
- A real environmental initiative: KCS Foundation's environment-focused projects in rural Bihar — water access, sustainable agriculture, waste management, energy access — give you a live, documented solution to point to.
- Documented impact data: Monthly field reports, beneficiary counts, and before-and-after evidence provide exactly the impact data UNEP expects.
- A scalable model: A solution piloted in rural India can be framed as a replicable model for other regions — the scalability UNEP rewards.
- SDG alignment: KCS Foundation projects align directly with the environmental SDGs, making the UN framework connection natural.
- A credible reference: KCS Foundation leadership can provide references and documentation to support your application.
Final Advice
Young Champions of the Earth rewards young people who have already started — not those who are still planning. If you're 18–30 and passionate about the environment, the time to build is now. A KCS Foundation partnership gives you the real, documented, scalable environmental solution that UNEP is looking for. Start your project, measure your impact, and apply when the next window opens. A UN-recognised environmental credential can define the rest of your career.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is UNEP Young Champions of the Earth?
Young Champions of the Earth is the United Nations Environment Programme's flagship prize for young environmental entrepreneurs aged 18–30. Seven winners are selected globally each year, each receiving $10,000 in seed funding, mentorship, and a global platform to scale their environmental solutions.
Who is eligible for Young Champions of the Earth?
Young people aged 18–30 from anywhere in the world who have a concrete, innovative environmental solution that is already underway. You must demonstrate the potential for your idea to create significant environmental impact and be ready to scale it with the prize support.
What do Young Champions of the Earth winners receive?
Each of the seven winners receives $10,000 in seed funding, mentorship from global environmental experts, access to a UN platform at major international events, and membership in a global community of UN-recognised environmental leaders.
When can I apply for Young Champions of the Earth?
Applications typically open early in the year and close around April. Applications for the 2026 cycle are now closed. Check the official UNEP Young Champions page for the next application window.