While the prestigious Nobel Prize system does not include a formal “environment” award, numerous laureates in the Peace, Chemistry, Physics, and Economic Sciences categories have been honored for research and action that deepen humanity’s understanding of the planet and support its protection. This data brief highlights key laureates and their achievements—and how awards for environmental contributions have accumulated over time.

In recent years, the art world has begun a significant shift toward environmental responsibility. Artists, institutions, collectors, and consumers are aligning creativity with elements like reducing waste, integrating renewable energy, and eco-friendly policies.

The Ocean Census, founded by the Nippon Foundation and Nekton, seeks to add to the list of known marine species. In a September 2025 press release, the group announced that they had identified over 800 previously unknown marine species since their first expedition in November 2023.

Dubbing itself “the most Earth-friendly sport,” Spogomi is an environmental competition originating in Japan in which teams collect and sort the most litter within a designated area and timeframe. The Nippon Foundation’s Spogomi World Cup 2025, to be held October 27–31, 2025, in Japan, promotes litter-cleanup as a sport for all people.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to help doctors understand disease risk, progression, and treatments. In a September study in Nature, researchers report using an AI model called Delphi-2M to identify patterns of progression in over 1,000 diseases, based on hundreds of thousands of medical records.