Supriya Sahu IAS on winning the UNEP Earth Champions Award and leading Tamil Nadu’s green mission

I think the turning point was certainly my posting in the Nilgiris. That was the moment when I realised I was in a true biodiversity haven. At the same time, I became acutely aware of how small I was, a tiny dot in a vast world where everything can flourish if handled carefully or be destroyed if it isn’t. It was an overwhelming thought, a realisation that we needed to take responsibility, to grasp the challenge and address it head-on. As I’ve mentioned before, seeing the wildlife firsthand—elephants and tigers consuming plastic, roaming the forest fringes—was truly impactful. Not just them, but also the gaurs, the deer, and the broader consequences of our waste disposal practices. Witnessing all this triggered a deep, inner conviction that we needed to do something.

I think if you have the passion and genuinely want to make a difference, you will find opportunities to do so. As we learn more about climate change, biodiversity, and nature, we realise that every single department has an important role to play, whether it’s agriculture, industry, energy, transport, housing and urban development, or even health. You begin to see that it extends even further, to departments like textiles. Clean water, clean air, and healthy soil are the foundation for any kind of growth or development, whether industrial, agricultural, or human. Essentially, everything depends on the environment in which we live. It’s not rocket science to understand, but it’s something that should be embedded into the policies of every department.

I always say this: as an officer, you can only contribute so much. For anything to happen, you need three things—policy, action, and a commitment to sustain it. You also need a strong bureaucracy, a committed machinery capable of delivering on the ground. In Tamil Nadu, we’ve been fortunate to have strong political support. Without it, it would not have been possible for any state government to declare and notify eight new wildlife sanctuaries in such a short period. This is groundbreaking because it provides legal protection. Similarly, we’ve been able to notify 100 new reserve forests. Achieving this requires not only political will but also a professional, system-orientated bureaucracy. At the same time, a strong community and civil society are crucial. They observe your actions and support your initiatives—whether it’s notifying bird sanctuaries and Ramsar sites or creating new forest areas and conservation centres.

Our strategies have essentially focused on areas that are crucial but have not received much attention so far. For example, the Endangered Species Conservation Fund and our focus on lesser-known species that require targeted conservation support. Take the Nilgiri Tahr, for instance, which is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. How do we ensure that people understand its importance—not just for the species itself, but for the grasslands and the ecosystem?

Similarly, we have species like the dugong, which in India are found only in two locations—the Andamans and Tamil Nadu. And then there are endemic species such as the slender loris. Our strategies are rooted in addressing these critical and challenging issues, which are essential for both the environment and the ecosystem. While there is often a lot of focus on larger species like tigers and elephants, people have appreciated that we are also focusing on species on the verge of extinction that have historically received little attention.

Another major initiative has been the modernisation of the Forest Force. Without modernisation, implementing new programmes and schemes effectively would be very difficult. As part of this, we have integrated artificial intelligence in places like Madukkarai in Coimbatore to prevent accidental elephant deaths on forest tracks. AI has also been rolled out in Gudalur and Hosur. We have implemented radio collars and undertaken elephant translocations, among other measures.

Our vision has always been very forward-looking. In many ways, we are ahead of other regions, not only in adapting to challenges but also in using technology to address them effectively. These are the factors that give us an edge and allow us to manage things efficiently.

For example, we conducted large-scale capacity building for our forest personnel. Take the Mahouts in our elephant camps, whether in Anamalai Tiger Reserve or Madhumalai Tiger Reserve. For the first time, they were sent to Thailand to study elephant care practices. The aim was for them to understand where they stand, what they are already doing well, and what they could learn from international best practices. Many of these Mahouts had never travelled far from their home regions, let alone boarded a flight abroad, so this experience truly broadened their horizons and opened their way of thinking.

We also focused on our foresters and forest guards, ensuring they felt a sense of belonging and involvement in our programmes. Under the modernisation initiative, we equipped the department with rescue and firefighting vehicles and established a fire management centre.

Our strategy has been modern, technology-driven, and highly structured. At the same time, we have worked closely with local communities—for instance, through our mangrove projects, we have empowered residents, collaborated with them, and established mangrove councils.

These combined approaches—capacity building, modernisation, technology, and community engagement—have allowed us to roll out our projects effectively and achieve tangible results in a relatively short period of time.

I don’t think we are truly well prepared yet. Most of the work being done has begun with good intentions and a lot of enthusiasm, but time is running out. Take Indian cities, for example—Chennai is a case in point. A significant amount of work is already underway there. The Greater Chennai Corporation is one of the few in India to have its own climate action plan. We have conducted a greenhouse gas inventory, so we know precisely where emissions are coming from.

A lot is happening on the ground, from the Cool Roof Scheme to waste management initiatives, cleaning up Kodungaiyur, and bio-mining projects. Similar efforts are taking place in other cities as well. But the time has come to scale up, build the capacities of personnel, and prepare departments to implement these initiatives at a larger scale.

I would particularly like to highlight the energy transition in Chennai, which is happening at a remarkable pace. Recently, the Greater Chennai Corporation received a national award for its green energy transition, particularly for deploying electric buses at a large scale. This is the way forward for all cities. Chennai is setting an example, and I am confident that cities like Coimbatore, Madurai, and Trichy will soon follow suit and accelerate their own efforts.

No, I don’t think it’s as straightforward as simply 'going forward'. There are many challenges that are deeply concerning. If you look at the global perspective, at forums like the United Nations and the largest assemblies of nations that are signatories to the climate accords, it is clear that the targets of the Paris Agreement, such as limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, are not being met.

The predicted dangers are very real, be it sea-level rise, flooding, cyclones, orother disasters. Climate change has brought a great deal of unpredictability; many of the traditional models we relied on no longer function reliably because the climate is changing so rapidly.

Given this, we need to be exceptionally well prepared. For example, in Tamil Nadu, Chennai has established a Climate Studio to better anticipate, plan for, and respond to these challenges.The Climate Studio is a highly specialised centre designed to provide us with decadal models for planning and decision-making.

Actually, this is true everywhere in the world. Even at United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA), during some of the presentations, it was clear that citizen action is considered a key factor in tackling climate change. Many people feel that in such a large-scale scenario, individual actions don’t matter—but that’s not the case. Everything starts with us. If we can bring more sustainability into our daily lives, it will make a real difference.

That’s why we are implementing the Meendum Manjappai scheme. The idea is simple: to help people understand that a single act, like buying a plastic bag and discarding it carelessly, may last only a few seconds in our hands, but it persists in the environment for thousands of years. This has devastating consequences for turtles, marine life, and the broader ecosystem, including the atmosphere.

We also need to address other issues, like the enormous amount of textile waste ending up in landfills. By encouraging sustainability and involving indigenous communities to adopt more circular practices, we can reduce this impact. I was in Coimbatore just two days ago, speaking at an annual programme with students, and it was incredibly heartening to hear how aware they are. Even at a young age, they understand that change begins with them and their families.

Sustainability must be at the core of everything, whether it’s textiles, buying fruits and vegetables without plastics, or segregating waste at home. If these habits can start at the individual level and spread across communities, I truly believe we can make a significant difference.

So many actually, my inspiration always comes from the natural world. I’ve also tweeted quite a bit about this—how inspirational it is to see elephant herds walking, always led by a matriarch. It’s truly humbling to watch these magnificent, humongous creatures, who could easily exert their strength, yet never misuse it. The way the matriarch leads the herd with such clarity and vision is remarkable. When a calf is with the herd, the entire group surrounds it, ensuring its safety. They come together instinctively to protect one another. There is so much resilience to be learned from elephants. You see it too in the Nilgiri Tahr—their agility, their fearlessness on steep cliffs. They don’t hesitate; they climb swiftly because that’s the only way forward. There’s a lesson in movement, in going forward, in resilience, patience, working together, and looking after one another. There are so many things we can learn from observing these animals.

I don’t think I do anything particularly different, to be very honest. Every time you work on a new project or see something unfolding before your eyes—like in Coimbatore with the Pethikuttai Rescue Centre, or even today with the Chadivayal Centre, and seeing the mangroves coming up beautifully, it gives you so much energy to keep going. You don’t really need to force yourself or shut down; the work itself is energising. I also practise a lot of yoga and enjoy jogging. I’m quite fond of the outdoors, especially going on treks. Now that we’ve launched TN Trek, I’ve been spending time on those treks with the team, working closely with the guides. It’s both refreshing and inspiring.