Researcher wins £10,000 for hopeful climate change books showing we can save Earth

Researcher wins £10,000 for hopeful climate change books showing we can save EarthDr Hannah Ritchie has won the £10,000 Unwin Award for her data-led climate research, proving her status as a vital and optimistic voice in the modern British non-fiction landscapeScienceAimée Walsh Columnist and U35 Deputy Editor10:12, 22 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesHannah Ritchie has won the 2026 Unwin AwardDr Hannah Ritchie has been crowned the winner of the prestigious Unwin Award, securing her place as one of the most influential voices in modern British non-fiction.‌In an era often defined by environmental pessimism, the triumph of the senior researcher and data scientist marks a significant moment for the literary landscape.‌Announced at a prestigious ceremony at the Royal Institution in London, Ritchie was named the recipient of the £10,000 prize, an accolade established just last year to celebrate writers who have made a profound impact on global discourse.‌Administered by the Publishers Association and funded by the Unwin Charitable Trust, the award serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring capacity of the written word to reshape public understanding of our most pressing issues.View 2 ImagesNot the End of the World by Hannah RitchieREAD MORE: All British book prize shortlist features a novel that is 'impossible to forget'READ MORE: Best paperbacks to read now including a 'cult phenomenon' everybody is readingRitchie, who serves as the Deputy Editor at Our World in Data and holds a position at the University of Oxford, was recognised for a body of work that includes her landmark 2024 publication, Not The End of the World, and her follow-up, Clearing the Air.‌The judging panel, chaired by the esteemed broadcaster Claudia Hammond, lauded Ritchie’s ability to marshal complex scientific data into a narrative that is as accessible as it is intellectually rigorous.In a field frequently crowded with apocalyptic rhetoric, the panel noted that Ritchie’s optimistic, evid...