Environmental journalism pioneer rhett butler receives prestigious global leadership award for mongabay’s impact

Rhett A. Butler, founder and CEO of the influential environmental news platform Mongabay, has been honored with the 2024 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, recognizing his transformative work in environmental journalism. Butler was selected from an impressive pool of over 1,500 nominees spanning 146 countries, highlighting the global reach and significance of his contributions.

The prestigious annual award, established by Sweden’s Tällberg Foundation in 2015, celebrates leaders whose work demonstrates courage, innovation, and global impact rooted in universal values. Butler joins 35 previous recipients and shares this year’s honor with two other changemakers: Bryan Doerries of Theater of War Productions, who uses ancient stories to address modern trauma, and David Gruber of Project CETI, who works to decode whale communication.

The foundation specifically praised Butler for “redefining global environmental journalism through Mongabay” and creating “a network model of independent reporting that empowers local voices, informs global policy, and renews confidence in journalism as a force for accountability and change.” Under Butler’s leadership, Mongabay has become a crucial source of environmental news, particularly for coverage of biodiversity, conservation, and climate issues in underreported regions.

Characteristically humble, Butler credited his team and global network of journalists, telling Mongabay: “I’m deeply honored, but this recognition really belongs to the extraordinary Mongabay team and our global network of journalists who do the hard work every day. I see the prize as a testament to the power of independent, fact-based environmental journalism.”