YOUNG CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH: UN
WHY IN NEWS?
- A 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur is among the seven winners of the prestigious “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 prize given by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to global change-makers using innovative ideas and ambitious action to help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
IN DETAIL:
- Introduced in 2017, Young Champions of the Earth aims to celebrate and support individuals aged between 18 and 30 who have outstanding potential to create a positive environmental impact.
- In 2020, seven Young Champions of the Earth will be selected from each global region: Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, West Asia and two from Asia and the Pacific.
- Each winner will receive:
o USD 10,000 in seed funding,
o Attendance at a high-level UN meeting,
o An introduction to dignitaries at the Champions of the Earth award ceremony,
o Publicity and recognition through interviews and online and global media.
INDIA’S WINNER OF 2020:
- Vidyut Mohan, India: (Takachar). Harvesting value from agricultural waste.
- Takachar: Harvesting Value from Agricultural Waste
- Takachar is a social enterprise founded by Vidyut Mohan in 2018.
- It enables farmers to prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by converting them into value-added chemicals.
- It is a meaningful and immediate solution to the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
- Procedure:
o Takachar buys rice husks, straw and coconut shells from farmers and turns them into charcoal, saving the debris from the fires, which are also a driver of climate change.
BENEFITS:
- Open burning of agricultural residues is a big source of air pollution in many parts of the world and this innovative technology can help farmers turn what is currently thought of as waste into a valuable resource while helping clean up our environment.
- Enables rural farmers to earn 40% more by converting their crop residues into fuels, fertilisers and value-added chemicals like activated carbon (AC) on-site.
- POTENTIAL:
- By 2030, Takachar will impact 300 million farmers affected by this problem, create USD 4 billion/year equivalent in additional rural income and jobs, and mitigate one gigaton/year of CO2 equivalent.
United Nation Environment Program
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), was established in 1972 to guide and coordinate environmental activities within the United Nations (UN) system.
- UNEP promotes international cooperation on environmental issues, provides guidance to UN organizations.
- Through its scientific advisory groups, UNEP encourages the international scientific community to participate in formulating policy for many of the UN’s environmental projects.
- UNEP is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
- The organization also encourages participation by the private sector to promote the sustainable use of the world’s natural resources.
- Major Reports: Emission Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, Invest into Healthy Planet.
- Major Campaigns: Beat Pollution, UN75, World Environment Day, Wild for Life.