Antoinette Taus named UN environment ambassador

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations Environment Programme has designated Antoinette Taus as National Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines. 

Antoinette is an award-winning actress, singer, TV host, environmental advocate and founder of the non-profit organization CORA.

She is the UN Environment Programme’s first National Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines. The designation was made at a ceremony marking World Environment and Health Day in Manila on September 26.

Long a fixture in the entertainment industry in the Philippines, Antoinette has spent much of her life in the media spotlight. At 11, she already was a regular presence on stage and onscreen and has since starred in blockbuster films and top rated television shows, including one of the country’s longest-running soap operas, "Anna Karenina."

Today, she works with international media networks such as National Geographic and CNN on projects centered around humanitarian and environmental issues.

Combining her popularity with her longstanding dedication to the planet, Antoinette founded CORA in 2016, a non-profit organization to help foster action for sustainable development through volunteerism. Antoinette is also the Chief Executive Officer and founder of The Sustainable Planet, a social enterprise centered on improving the lives of indigenous peoples and those living in poverty in the Philippines.

“Antoinette is as passionate a voice for the environment as they come. We are extremely pleased she will be helping us raise the profile of the range of environmental challenges and opportunities facing the Philippines. Global issues like climate change and plastic and air pollution are impacting all countries, and we are lucky to have advocates like Antoinette standing strong for the planet,” said Dechen Tsering, Regional Director for the UNEP’s Office for Asia and the Pacific.

“When we protect the planet, we are protecting the people that we love. Each action as an individual has the power to create amazing change, but just imagine what we can achieve if we take action together,” said Taus. "The key to solving our most urgent global issues is already in every single one of us. But we need to act now, as one people, for our one planet.”

As Goodwill Ambassador, Antoinette will continue to work closely with the youth, local communities and media partners to raise awareness on environmental issues and mobilize Filipinos to take climate action for people and the planet.

It can be recalled that Taus was also a member of “G Squad,” a group of celebrities assembled by former Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary Gina Lopez as part of her travel show "G Diaries."

The UN Environment Programme is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.