About us
"In ten months this Foundation has discovered more environmental solutions in this region than we have in 30 years. I recommend that we work with them"
Madame Sorgho-Mouliniere Director UNDP Europe, June 2005
We believe the answers to climate change are
already here
hidden in local communities around the world. The Earth Champions Foundation exists to find them, celebrate them and help them grow.
Our Story So Far
The Earth Champions Foundation began in Melbourne, Australia in 2000, when Nelson Mandela presented the first Earth Champion Award to Gina Litton, who saved the ancient Jarrah Forests of Western Australia.
Since then, we’ve held Quests in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Australia, and Bristol (UK) recognising over 450 Champions who’ve transformed their communities.
Left: Dr Brian Robinson, first Chairman of the Earth Champions Foundation and former Chairman of the Victorian Environment Protection Authority, speaking at the launch of the Foundation alongside Nelson Mandela.
Right: Dr Edward de Bono, global pioneer of lateral thinking, with Fiona Mathews, CEO of Earth Champions, and Ian Kiernan, founder of Clean Up Australia, whose leadership inspired one of the world’s largest citizen-led environmental movements.
Our mission
Our mission is to discover and share practical environmental solutions to inspire a global movement of hope and action to restore our planet and secure a future for all life on earth
Our Team
Fiona Mathews FRSA
Founder and CEO of Earth Champions® Foundation
President of Greenhouse Action Australia 1994 –1997 and an Executive of Memtec inventors of membrane micro-filtration. Member of UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD). Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) previously worked as a reporter for the ABC in Australia, Mexico and New York.
Bryan Belling
International Chairman
Bryan Belling focuses on industrial relations and employment law. He has 25 years experience and has appeared before both Australian State and Federal Courts and Industrial Tribunals in all aspects of public and private sector employment and safety law. He has acted for all tiers of government and State owned corporations
Nicholas Vanezis
Trustee
Nicholas provides advisory services and corporate finance support services through the company, Sajinvest, which is part of the SAAJ Family Office group. He is also involved with the Oakes Lyman Medical Fund which specialises in nurturing companies with unique technologies and taking them to market.
Professor Edward Kosior
Trustee
Managing Director of Nextek Limited. Honorary Professor at the Wolfson Materials Processing Centre at Brunel University London specialising in environmental technologies. Designed and supervised the first plastic to food contact recycling plant for London.
Annabel McLisky
Trustee
Annabel is a retired psychologist, mediator, yoga and meditation teacher trainer who continues to teach yoga. She believes in the healing power of nature and in a symbiotic relationship between the health of our planet and the mental and physical health of humankind. Annabel has worked closely with the Foundation since 2002.
Janine Wood
B2B communications strategies
Janine Wood has over 30 years’ experience in B2B communications strategies. Her focus is on high-quality content marketing to amplify Earth Champions’ core values and unique propositions. Janine works across a range of industry sectors delivering tailored communications and branding campaigns that ensure organisation’s relevant messages are heard and seen by their target audiences. As we shift through unprecedented times her goal is to keep a steady focus on the bigger picture and ensure corporate communications are clear, impactful and memorable.
McQuire Coelho
Project Coordinator/Researcher
McQuire is a First-Class Law graduate with a strong foundation in commercial research and legal analysis. Through his startup, MSC, he provides legal and commercial support to the Earth Champions Foundation, coordinating project delivery and strategic partnerships to further the charity’s local and global environmental initiatives.
Sir Crispin Tickell
Recent former Chairman
Earth Champions Foundation International Advisory Committee
Distinguished British diplomat, Chairman of the International Advisory Committee, environmentalist and academic. Former British Ambassador to the United Nations and Permanent Representative on the UN Security Council (1987–1990). President of the Royal Geographical Society from 1990 to 1993.
Dr Edward De Bono
Recent former Chairman UK
Renowned author and advisor to corporations and government. Has written over 63 books on creative and conceptual thinking which are taught from in over 600,000 schools in China. Dr De Bono coined the term ‘lateral thinking’.