Environmental Hero Award

CEC’s annual Environmental Hero Award is granted to an individual or organization who has made significant contributions to the environmental movement.

2026 ENVIRONMENTAL HEROES

Awards Ceremony is at 12:00 p.m. noon Sunday, April 26th on the Main Stage

Megan Birney Rudert

Clean Energy Access Advocate

Megan Birney Rudert, President & CEO of Unite to Light, leads a Santa Barbara–based nonprofit expanding access to clean, affordable solar energy in off-grid communities worldwide. Under her leadership, hundreds of thousands of solar lights and chargers have been distributed — reducing reliance on kerosene while improving health, safety, and opportunity. Her work enables students to study after dark, supports safer childbirth, and provides critical energy access in disaster zones.

Assemblymember Gregg Hart

Climate and Coastal Protection Leader

Assemblymember Gregg Hart represents California’s 37th Assembly District. Over more than three decades of public service, he has been a steadfast advocate for protecting California’s environment and coastline. He has passed legislation to plug idle oil wells faster, hold operators accountable, and require environmental review for aging coastal infrastructure — in addition to establishing the California Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program. Building on this work, Assemblymember Hart is organizing the inaugural California Ocean Summit in Santa Barbara to bring together global leaders in ocean stewardship and advance solutions.

Past award recipients

2025

Dr.Leah Stokes has nearly two decades of experience working on climate and energy, including championing a federal Clean Electricity Standard. Author of the award-winning book Short Circuiting Policy, she was named to 2022 TIME100 Next and Business Insider 2022 Climate Action 30 lists. Leah is the Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Environmental Politics at UCSB, a senior policy consultant at Rewiring America, and co-host of the climate podcast “A Matter of Degrees.”

2024

Alejandra Warren co-founded Plastic Free Future, a California-based nonprofit committed to the reduction and elimination of plastic pollution through promoting reusable alternatives, with a focus on outreach to underserved and systemically-excluded communities. Alejandra is also an NGO delegate to the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution. She has dedicated her life to making an impact on climate change and her work lights the way for communities everywhere.

2023

Nalleli Cobo, Goldman Environmental prize winner and co-founder of People Not Pozos
Cesar Aguirre, Oil and Gas Director for the Central California Environmental Justice Network and co-founder of California Youth vs. Big Oil