Veolia has officially recognized the winners of the first-ever China edition of the Environmental Book Award. Founded in 2006 in France, the award was established with a vital purpose: to raise public awareness regarding the major challenges of the ecological transition. While celebrating its 21st edition in France this year, the award reached a historic milestone by expanding its borders to China for the very first time, giving its mission of environmental education an unprecedented international dimension.
A Rigorous Evaluation Process
For its launch year in China, the award focused exclusively on children's literature written in Chinese for readers aged 8 to 12—an essential lever for awakening ecological consciousness in younger generations.
Organized in partnership with Jingshi Data (Beijing) Education Technology, an institution affiliated with Beijing Normal University, the evaluation process began in April with the sourcing of nearly 100 candidate books. A dedicated reading committee, combining university representatives and 100 volunteer employees from Veolia, conducted a pre-selection to shortlist 50 titles. Ultimately, a multidisciplinary jury composed of academics, researchers, and children's literature specialists selected 13 finalist books before choosing three joint winners.
The 2026 China Winners
Teaching a Lynx to Forget the Zoo by Qi Xinzhang: A documentary science book that records the rescue, growth, and return to nature of China's first successfully reintroduced juvenile lynx.
Sherjahaan The Land of Tigers by Dai Yun (illustrated by Roger Mello): Told from the perspective of the land, this story is based on the true account of an Indian couple who revitalized a barren landscape, showcasing the miracle of ecological restoration through the interaction of humanity and nature.
- Red Lips, Green Roofs: Finding What Climate Change Has Lost by Lao Jiadi (illustrated by Wu Xi): Focusing on climate change, this book follows the fantastical redemption journey of a red-lipped monkey searching for a lost parrot in the aftermath of a wildfire.
Ceremony and Educational Outreach
To celebrate these outstanding literary achievements, an official award ceremony was held at the Beijing Zhongguancun Second Primary School on September 11. The vibrant event brought together participants from Veolia, the Veolia Foundation, as well as local teachers and students to honor the power of environmental storytelling."Speaking at the award ceremony, Ms. Julia GU, CEO of Veolia China, stated, 'Veolia's environmental protection goes far beyond building factories or developing technologies; it is equally about public awareness, and even more importantly, about the next generation's understanding of nature. These outstanding environmental books are like seeds—planted in children's hearts today, they will grow into the power to protect our planet in the future.'"
To further extend the educational impact of this initiative, the Veolia Foundation purchased the winning books for distribution to its local partners. Alongside this distribution, the Foundation also organized special meetings between the winning authors and young readers. These engaging writer-reader sessions offered an inspiring platform for students to interact directly with the creators, deepening their curiosity about nature and solidifying their commitment to environmental preservation.
