At a time when climate change headlines are filled with warnings and missed targets, one Indian civil servant’s work has quietly caught the attention of the world. Supriya Sahu, a senior IAS officer from Tamil Nadu, has been honoured with the United Nations Champions of the Earth Award, the highest recognition given by the UN for environmental leadership. The award places her among a select global group whose ideas have translated into real change on the ground.
How a career bureaucrat became a climate leader
Supriya Sahu belongs to the 1991 batch of the Indian Administrative Service and has spent more than three decades in governance.
Her career did not begin in environmental policy. She worked across public health, administration and even national broadcasting institutions. This wide exposure shaped a governance style that later helped her approach climate challenges not as abstract concepts, but as everyday problems affecting people’s lives.
Currently, she serves as the Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests in Tamil Nadu, a role that gives her direct responsibility over the state’s ecological future.
Turning climate plans into measurable impact
What drew international attention to Sahu’s work is her focus on implementation. Under her leadership, Tamil Nadu expanded forest cover, restored degraded land and strengthened mangrove ecosystems along the coast. Wetlands were revived and biodiversity protection was linked directly with climate resilience, reducing the impact of floods and heatwaves.
The simple idea that helped beat extreme heat
Among her most talked-about initiatives is the Cool Roof programme. Instead of expensive infrastructure, the project used reflective paint, natural ventilation and basic design changes to lower indoor temperatures in schools and homes. In some areas, temperatures dropped by several degrees, offering relief to communities most vulnerable to extreme heat.
Cleaning hills, creating jobs
In the Nilgiris and other ecologically sensitive regions, Sahu led campaigns to reduce plastic waste and protect water sources. These efforts were built around community participation, ensuring that environmental protection also created livelihoods. Large-scale green initiatives under her leadership have generated thousands of employment opportunities linked to conservation and eco-restoration.
Why the UN took notice
The UN has highlighted her work for addressing multiple crises at once climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss while keeping people at the centre of solutions. The Champions of the Earth Award recognises leadership that delivers results, not just promises.
A story bigger than one award
Supriya Sahu’s recognition reflects a larger shift in how climate leadership is emerging from within governance systems. Her work shows that sustainable change does not always come from grand speeches, but from practical decisions taken quietly and consistently.
As climate risks grow, her approach offers a rare example of how policy, people and the planet can move forward together.