Big Issue’s 100 Changemakers of 2026: Environment and climate

The natural world is under threat like never before. So we applaud those who take a stand against pollution, against cruelty, against environmental vandalism, and against the climate inaction that affects us all.

Every year Big Issue compiles a list of 100 organisations and people who are bringing change to their community. It’s a chance to celebrate the agenda-setting activists and grassroots groundbreakers delivering change.

Headhere to see the full Big Issue 100 Changemakers list

Triodos Bank UK

In 2025 Triodos Bank celebrated 30 years of championing finance that serves people and planet in the UK. Since 1995, the bank has provided more than £2.5 billion in lending to organisations delivering social and environmental impact, including clean energy, organic farming, education, healthcare and social housing. In a year when other banks have backtracked on climate commitments, Triodos, a certified B Corp, has held firm and called on the industry to take a moral stand on where it lends and invests. Under new leadership, the bank has also focused on improving customer experience and digital banking features.

James Wallace, River Action 

Wallace is chief executive of River Action and campaigns to rescue our rivers. A naturalist, archaeologist and social entrepreneur, he has helped establish ventures spanning renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, green finance and nature restoration. Before joining River Action, he was CEO and co-founder of Beaver Trust, leading a coalition to protect native beavers. He brings together government, industry, charities and communities to push for clean water and rewilding, while holding polluters and regulators to account.

Dr Ruth Tingay 

Wildlife conservationist Tingay has worked in raptor research and conservation for more than 30 years. She is now a leading campaigner against the illegal of killing of birds of prey in the UK. She writes the award-winning Raptor Persecution UK blog, launched in 2010, which has received over 12 million views and regularly generates national media attention. A former president of the international Raptor Research Foundation, she is also co-director of Wild Justice alongside Chris Packham. Her work shines a light on wildlife crime and pushes for stronger accountability and protection for threatened raptors.

David Wolfe KC 

A renowned environmental lawyer, Wolfe is a public law barrister at Matrix Chambers, specialising in judicial review challenges to decisions made by government, regulators and public bodies. His work includes environmental and planning law, natural resources and climate change law, often acting for individual people, or community groups and NGOs. Wolfe has been involved in many high-profile cases and is regularly recognised by leading legal directories for his expertise. He also trains lawyers and others, particularly in the sphere of education and public law.

Feargal Sharkey and Dale Vince

Nominated by Chris Packham, Big Issue Ambassador

Bringing their influence to animal welfare, Sharkey and Vince joined Packham in October 2025 to campaign for the release of 15 gentoo penguins kept in the basement of SEA LIFE London Aquarium. In tandem with groups including Freedom for Animals and Born Free, they called for the penguins to be rehoused in a place where they have access to natural light and fresh air. Outside this campaign, former Undertones frontman Sharkey has also made a name for himself by holding the UK water industry to account – for which he was named a Changemaker in 2023. Vince, meanwhile, has driven climate action through his Ecotricity company, as well as being a member of Patriotic Millionaires UK, demanding higher taxes for wealthy people like himself.

Hugo Tagholm, Oceana UK

From Cornwall, Hugo Tagholm is executive director and vice president of Oceana UK, campaigning for stronger protection of the UK’s seas. He previously led Surfers Against Sewage, taking action “from the beachfront to the front benches of parliament” across issues including plastic pollution, water quality, climate change and ocean rewilding. Hugo founded the Plastic Free Communities movement and helped launch major public initiatives including the Million Mile Beach Clean. He is a fellow of the Edinburgh University Ocean Leaders programme and was awarded a Doctorate of Science by the University of Exeter for services to the marine environment. 

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Green New Deal Rising 

This youth-led movement (right) campaigns for climate justice and a clean-energy future. Organising across the UK, the group is pushing for bold action to tackle the climate and nature crises while also addressing inequality and the rising cost of living. Their vision links climate solutions to everyday life, calling for major public investment in green jobs, warmer homes, nature restoration and stronger communities. Made up of young people from diverse backgrounds and places, Green New Deal Rising is building pressure through direct action to demand change at the scale we need right now.

Paul Powlesland    

Using the law to stand up for the natural world, Powlesland is a UK barrister and founder of Lawyers for Nature, supporting communities and activists to protect trees, rivers and wildlife. He specialises in defending the rights of environmental campaigners to protest, and advises local groups on using environmental law and regulation to challenge damaging decisions. A leading voice in the growing Rights of Nature movement, Paul argues that nature should be recognised in law and protected from exploitation. He is also a guardian of the River Roding, where he lives on a boat in East London.

North East Young Dads and Lads    

North East Young Dads and Lads (NEYDL) is a parenting and youth support charity that is also helping young fathers take practical climate action in their communities. Through Birds, Bees, Bikes & Trees, a three-year partnership with Baltic and Newcastle University funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, NEYDL is linking nature, wellbeing and everyday life in an urban environment. The project includes beekeeping on Baltic’s rooftop hives, guided nature talks, creative workshops, climate clubs and cycling through the “Wheelie Good Dads” ride-outs and bike loan scheme. It supports skills, confidence and helps people to build stronger connections with nature.

Against Sewage Pollution  

This volunteer-led charity in Oxfordshire is working to end sewage pollution in the River Windrush and nearby waterways. Combining citizen science with professional expertise, the group investigates and analyses water quality and sewage discharge data, helping expose pollution that might otherwise remain hidden. Their focus is both action and accountability: raising awareness, informing the public with evidence, and campaigning for stronger standards so rivers are safe for wildlife and people. As their nominator wrote, untreated sewage is being dumped into the water “sometimes in huge quantities and for long periods of time”.

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