Michael Sutton, the executive director of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, visited 2014 Goldman Prize winner Rudi Putra in Indonesia this November. He shared observations from the trip in the post below. In 2023, Tero Mustonen received the Goldman Environmental Prize for protecting a distinctive natural habitat in Finland: peatlands. These peat marshes and bogs—sometimes known…
This fall, Goldman Environmental Prize Program Manager Laura Fernandez had the opportunity to visit Niwat Roykaew and Tuenjai Deetes, Goldman Prize winners from Thailand from 2022 and 1994, respectively. The following is a guest post about her experience. After spending three days in Chiang Mai, Thailand, attending the Asia Environmental Human Rights Defenders Forum, I…
For 73-year-old Cath Wallace, environmental activism is a lifelong pursuit. Her drive to protect the planet’s most fragile ecosystems is inherent to her identity. A former economics and public policy academic at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, Cath turned to activism in the mid 1970s. Since then, she has dedicated her life to reducing environmental harm and educating others about what we owe the Earth. Cath’s tireless advocacy for Antarctica, carried out in lockstep…
Randall Arauz knows what it takes to move the needle on marine conservation: a combination of effective policy change, shifting public opinion, and persistence. Randall, a passionate and seasoned conservationist famous for fighting against shark finning, has been advocating for critically endangered sea turtles and sharks—and improving Costa Rica’s environmental laws—for over 30 years. We…
We mourn the passing of Robert Redford, whose artistry and integrity on screen were surpassed only by his decades of dedication to the environment. For nearly 20 years, he generously lent his voice as the narrator of Goldman Environmental Prize winner videos, elevating stories of grassroots leaders even further. Robert Redford championed countless environmental causes…
A lifelong environmental educator and scientist, Semia Gharbi is the 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize winner for Africa. In our discussion, Semia digs into her work as an environmental advocate in Tunisia, starting with her Goldman Prize-winning campaign to reverse the illegal import of waste into her country. Semia also discusses her collaborative work to build…
2025 Goldman Prize winner Carlos Mallo Molina is the CEO and founder of Innoceana, a nonprofit organization active in both the Canary Islands and Costa Rica that bridges science, education, and technology to protect the ocean. In this Q&A, Carlos shares key tactics used in his successful campaign to prevent the construction of the Fonsalía…
We’re excited to share a Q&A with Olsi Nika, 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize winner for Europe. Based in Tirana, Albania, Olsi is the executive director of EcoAlbania, an NGO working to protect Albania’s natural ecosystems and wildlife through the friendly coexistence of humans and nature. Olsi and his colleague Besjana Guri won the 2025 Goldman…
The Goldman Environmental Prize just completed a wonderful week of celebration and community. Throughout the week, the 2025 Prize winners met with numerous NGOs and colleagues in the San Francisco Bay Area, sharing stories of environmental impact and building networks for their ongoing work. Plus, they explored Bay Area sites—like Muir Woods and Golden Gate Park—engaged…
Meet the 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize winners! These grassroots heroes prove that when ordinary people take action, they have the power to turn apathy into positive change for the environment. When it comes to protecting our planet, Goldman Prize winners know that the doing makes the difference. Tune into the San Francisco award ceremony tonight,…