Oxford Climate Awards 2026: Lab Wins Top Honour as Saurya Named Climate Action Champion

Oxford’s climate champions took centre stage on Thursday night as the Oxford Climate Awards 2026 honoured the individuals, businesses and community groups leading the city’s environmental fight — with an Oxford University laboratory sweeping the top prize for transforming its research practices and Dr Saroj Saurya named Climate Action Champion.

FAKTA

• Event: Oxford Climate Awards 2026 — the third annual ceremony, held on Thursday, 15 October 2026 at Oxford Town Hall; organised by the Oxford Mail and Oxford City Council, and presented by former international rugby referee Nigel Owens.
• Overall winner: Raff Lab at the Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford — which also took the Innovation in Climate Action Award.
• Climate Action Champion 2026: Dr Saroj Saurya of Raff Lab.
• Youth champion: Joe Rajapaksha, 13, winning the Youth Climate Action Champion Award for the second consecutive year.
• Scale: 13 award categories spanning innovation, transport and education.

Oxford Climate Awards 2026: Raff Lab Takes the Overall Prize

Raff Lab, based at the Dunn School of Pathology, secured the Oxford Climate Awards Overall Winner prize — sponsored by Oxford City Council — after transforming the way the laboratory runs. It also received the Innovation in Climate Action Award, sponsored by the Cherwell Collective.

According to the Oxford Chronicle’s report of the ceremony, the laboratory now recycles or reuses almost all of its plastic materials under new management approaches — reducing waste and generating savings of at least £15,000 per year. Additional initiatives include enhanced freezer efficiency and the encouragement of sustainable commuting among staff.

Councillor Anna Railton, deputy leader of Oxford City Council and one of the judges for the overall prize, said scalability had proved crucial in the decision-making process. With numerous laboratories operating across Oxford, she noted, the methods implemented by Raff Lab could readily be adopted by similar facilities — multiplying the environmental benefit far beyond a single lab.

Dr Saroj Saurya Named Climate Action Champion

Dr Saroj Saurya, who has worked at the laboratory for more than a decade, was named Climate Action Champion 2026 — sponsored by the Low Carbon Hub — and accepted both awards on the laboratory’s behalf.

She expressed delight at the recognition and emphasised that collective action remains essential in addressing environmental challenges. Community collaboration matters significantly, she stated — no individual can achieve this alone.

13-Year-Old Wins Youth Award for Second Year Running

Among the night’s most celebrated winners was 13-year-old Joe Rajapaksha, who earned the Youth Climate Action Champion Award — sponsored by Westgate Oxford — for the second consecutive year.

He expressed pride in receiving the accolade and highlighted the importance of environmental recognition, noting that scepticism about climate change persists widely even as global deadlines approach rapidly. He stressed the need for universal acknowledgement of climate issues and called for action from both ordinary citizens and political figures.

Presenter Nigel Owens — the former international rugby referee who officiated the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final before transitioning to farming — described Joe as an exceptionally impressive young person. He acknowledged that climate patterns have demonstrably shifted and observed that these changes impact agricultural operations significantly, underscoring the value of recognising and celebrating environmental efforts.

The Full Winners’ List

• Oxford Climate Awards Overall Winner — Raff Lab (sponsored by Oxford City Council)
• Climate Action Champion — Dr Saroj Saurya (sponsored by Low Carbon Hub)
• Youth Climate Action Champion — Joe Rajapaksha (sponsored by Westgate Oxford)
• Innovation in Climate Action Award — Raff Lab (sponsored by Cherwell Collective)
• Biodiversity and Ecology Award — Witney Town Council (sponsored by Oxford Nanopore Technologies)
• Green Building and Design Award — Harwell Science & Innovation Campus (sponsored by Jackson Builders)
• Green Transport Award — Zimbl (sponsored by Evolito)
• Sustainable School of the Year — Magdalen College School (sponsored by Heaton Design)
• Retrofit Champion of the Year — Nikki Lambert (sponsored by Metis)
• Sustainable Further Education / College of the Year — Wadham College (sponsored by Lucy Group)
• Youth Climate Action Champion — already listed above
• Sustainable Small Business of the Year — The Village Refill (sponsored by Morgan Sindall)
• Sustainable Medium Business of the Year — Vale and Downland Museum (sponsored by Low Carbon Hub)
• Climate Community Group Award — Westmill Energy (sponsored by SSEN)

For more of Watan News International’s climate coverage, visit our English news page at watannews.dk/en.

FAQs

When and where were the Oxford Climate Awards 2026 held?

The third annual Oxford Climate Awards took place on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at Oxford Town Hall. The awards are organised by the Oxford Mail and Oxford City Council — Magdalen College School confirmed the organisers when announcing its own Sustainable School of the Year win.

Who won the overall prize at the Oxford Climate Awards 2026?

Raff Lab, a laboratory at the University of Oxford’s Dunn School of Pathology, won the Oxford Climate Awards Overall Winner prize, sponsored by Oxford City Council. The lab also received the Innovation in Climate Action Award.

Why did Raff Lab win the top honour?

Under new management approaches, the laboratory now recycles or reuses almost all of its plastic materials, saving at least £15,000 per year. It has also improved freezer efficiency and encouraged sustainable commuting among staff. Judge Anna Railton said scalability was key — the methods can readily be adopted by Oxford’s many other laboratories.

Who was named Climate Action Champion 2026?

Dr Saroj Saurya, who has worked at Raff Lab for more than a decade, was named Climate Action Champion 2026 (sponsored by the Low Carbon Hub). She accepted both of the lab’s awards on its behalf.

Who won the youth award?

Joe Rajapaksha, aged 13, won the Youth Climate Action Champion Award (sponsored by Westgate Oxford) for the second consecutive year. Presenter Nigel Owens described him as an exceptionally impressive young person.