Celebrating the 2025 International Champions of the Frontiers Planet Prize
Meet the 3 International Champions of the 2025 Frontiers Planet Prize. Announced at our Award Ceremony on the 17th of June, 2025, these groundbreaking scientists have been awarded 1 million USD each to accelerate their breakthrough research.
Earth’s safety is reliant on its position within 9 planetary boundaries: climate change, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion, biogeochemical flows, freshwater use, land system change, biosphere integrity, novel entities, and atmospheric aerosol loading. We have pushed the planet beyond 6 of these 9 boundaries (Richardson et al., 2023).
Human interference has been detrimentally affecting the natural world since at least the late Pleistocene epoch over 11,700 years ago (Diamond, 1989). Throughout the Holocene, global industrialisation and human range expansion have exacerbated this effect; the consequences of which are an empirical reality, supported by overwhelming scientific consensus (IPCC, 2023; WWF, 2024). Few biological forces have shaped the Earth as powerfully as our species.
It is now our responsibility to harness our influence for restorative justice for our planet. As we move deeper into the Anthropocene (Steffen et al., 2015), we must champion thought leadership and transformational approaches (EEA, 2023). In the face of accelerating environmental change, it is complacency, not action, that poses the greatest risk. The scientific community is igniting a global green renaissance.
The 3 International Champions of the 2025 Frontiers Planet Prize are at the forefront of this endeavour, thought leaders in establishing healthy lives on a healthy planet. Their research takes centre stage internationally, selected by the independent Jury of 100 planetary health experts, chaired by Professor Johan Rockström. Each of the three International Champion of the Frontiers Planet Prize will receive one million US dollars to accelerate their research through their nominating institution. Their transformational solutions provide actionable pathways to restore our planet within a safe operating space.
From The University of Sydney, Dr Arunima Malik is transforming how we understand the global economy’s hidden costs. In her winning paper, Polarizing and equalizing trends in international trade and Sustainable Development Goals, Malik and her team analyse global supply chains over the past three decades. By quantifying trading partner contributions to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), their research reveals trends that are either polarizing or equalizing over time. Specifically, high-income countries are transferring environmentally and socially harmful production to low-income countries, resulting in a shifting of burdens while masking consumption impacts.
“Our motivation for researching global supply chains is rooted in a desire to unravel the intricate networks that connect businesses, sectors, nations, and, ultimately, people. These networks not only influence both local and global economies but also play a pivotal role in shaping environmental and social outcomes.” – Dr Malik in her thought piece, The Hidden Costs of Global Trade: Unravelling Supply Chains for a Sustainable Future
This research is already shaping international thinking on trade and sustainability. Dr Malik is working with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network to inform European Union policy. To strengthen this impact, Dr Malik will use the prize funding to expand her work on consumption-based and spillover indicators, develop practical tools for policymakers, and create tailored guidance for countries where climate vulnerability and economic inequality intersect. Her goal is to support sustainable trade practices that protect both people and the planet.
Building on this bold vision for sustainable systems, Professor Zahra Kalantari of KTH Royal Institute of Technology demonstrates how cities can become powerful drivers of climate action. Her pioneering research shows that by strategically deploying Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), urban areas can reduce urban emissions by up to 62.5% while enhancing public health, resilience, and quality of life. In her winning paper Contribution of Prioritized Urban Nature-Based Solutions Allocation to Carbon Neutrality, Kalantari and her team move beyond conventional views of NbS as merely aesthetic or marginal carbon sinks. Instead, they present a breakthrough spatial prioritization model that identifies precisely where nature can be most effective in reducing urban greenhouse gas emissions.
“As cities continue to grow and face escalating climate challenges, embracing Nature-Based Solutions offers a pathway to sustainable urban development that benefits both people and the planet.” – Prof Kalantari in her thought piece, Urban Green Solutions Drive Carbon Reduction
Supported by the prize funding, Prof Kalantari aims to expand this work through interactive digital tools, integrated modelling for urban resilience, and real-world applications via living labs and global collaborations. Her research offers a practical and scalable path for cities to meet climate neutrality targets, while staying within planetary boundaries and making life better for millions.
Just as nature-based solutions chart a path to climate resilience in cities, Dr Zia Mehrabi, based at the University of Colorado Boulder, reveals that agricultural diversity holds similar promise for transforming global food systems. His team set out to answer a pressing question: if we make farms more diverse, can we create a better world for people and the planet? The result is a landmark study, Joint Environmental and Social Benefits from Diversified Agriculture, that brings together over 50 researchers and thousands of farmers across 11 countries and five continents. It offers the first cross-cultural evidence that diversified farming systems can reduce environmental harm, strengthen rural livelihoods, and help agriculture operate within planetary boundaries.
“…diversification represents a significant, tangible, and policy-relevant step towards achieving more sustainable food systems globally: one not just grounded in theory or anecdotes, but supported by rich data” – Dr Mehrabi in his thought piece, A More Diverse Agriculture for the Future of Our Planet
The study provides a compelling, data-backed roadmap for policymakers, NGOs, and civil society to invest in sustainable and just food systems. With the prize funding, Dr Mehrabi will expand this work by mapping new innovations, deepening global partnerships, developing immersive tools to better engage the public, and training the next generation of sustainability leaders. In an era of climate uncertainty and growing inequality, his research offers a bold vision for food systems that regenerate both land and lives.
Systems thinking and building resilience have been the cornerstones of the Frontiers Planet Prize’s 3rd Edition International Champion research. This is a testament to the hopefulness of today’s scientists. Together, these prize-winning researchers show that whether in cities, farms, or supply chains, data-driven and nature-aligned solutions are not only possible but essential for staying within planetary boundaries while advancing human well-being. Their research is driving the shift we need, fuelling the global green renaissance to ensure a thriving planet for all generations.
Launched by the Frontiers Research Foundation on Earth Day 2022, the Frontiers Planet Prize aims to mobilize science for a global green renaissance. The Prize is endorsed by the International Science Council in its efforts to accelerate the most impactful scientific solutions. Now in its third year, the Prize has engaged over 600 leading universities and research institutions across six continents and 23 national academies of science.
Commenting on the Frontiers Planet Prize, Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said: "The Frontiers Planet Prize is more than a scientific award - it is a catalyst for the urgent transformation we need to stay within planetary boundaries. The three 2025 International Champions exemplify the power of science to deepen the understanding of the fundamentals of our earth systems while also delivering actionable, scalable solutions to the intertwined crises of climate, biodiversity, and inequality. Their work stands at the intersection of scientific novelty, innovation, and impact, showing us that a sustainable and just future is within reach—if we act boldly, and fast. It has been an honor to chair the Jury of 100 and witness firsthand the incredible depth of scientific excellence mobilized by this prize."
Jean-Claude Burgelman, Director of the Frontiers Planet Prize, added: “The 2025 International Champions embody the spirit of the Frontiers Planet Prize: bold science in service of humanity and the planet. This Prize is building a global community of researchers who are not only advancing knowledge but actively shaping the path to a sustainable future. These Champions inspire all of us – demonstrating that through collaboration, courage, and scientific integrity, transformative change is not only possible, but already underway.”