UNEP / CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH 2025 NIGER USA

Mariam Issoufou is named a UNEP 2025 Champion of the Earth for her work on sustainable architecture. Mariam Issoufou Architects focuses on projects that are deeply rooted in local context and responsive to climate, tradition, and community needs. Originally from Niger, her work redefines the relationship between contemporary design and cultural heritage. UNEP

• Video Length: 00:02:59
• Production Date: 10 December 2025
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME - UNEP
• Subject Topical: ENVIRONMENT; CLIMATE CHANGE
• Geographic Subject: NIGER; UNITED STATES
• MAMS Id: 3511928
• Parent Id: 3511928
• Alternate Title: unifeed251208y

Description

STORY: UNEP / CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH 2025 NIGER USA
TRT: 02:59
SOURCE: UNEP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 10 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

UNEP - OCTOBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY

1. Various shots, modern architecture in New York City, USA
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mariam Issoufou, Principal and founder of Mariam Issoufou Architects, winner of Champions of the Earth 2025 for Entrepreneurial Vision:
“Modern architecture requires or demands industrial materials. When we produce those industrial materials, there's a lot of embodied carbon emissions that comes with that, whether we're creating concrete, cement; whether we are fabricating glass, whether we are processing steel. Those are all processes that add to global warming, that add to global emissions. To the point where as an industry, the construction industry, contributes at least 40 per cent of global emissions.”
4. Medium shot, Mariam Issouf Architects office in New York City
5. Various shots, Mariam Issoufou working on a project
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mariam Issoufou, Principal and founder of Mariam Issoufou Architects, winner of Champions of the Earth 2025 for Entrepreneurial Vision:
“One of my motivations, even for becoming an architect, to be honest, was to think about an architecture that, in my view, was sensible, made sense for where it was.”
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mariam Issoufou, Principal and founder of Mariam Issoufou Architects, winner of Champions of the Earth 2025 for Entrepreneurial Vision:
“We use the properties of Earth as a natural insulator as sort of, again, from an energy conservation point of view, as this opportunity for the client to make a huge, a huge energy savings in the operation of the building, considering that Earth allows for the temperature difference from between outside and inside to be up to 20 degrees, depending on how it's used.”

UNEP - NOVEMBER 2025, NIAMEY, NIGER

9. Wide shot, aerial view of Niamey 2000, sustainable housing development made from earth designed by Mariam Issoufou
10. Wide shot, residents of Niamey 2000
11. Drone shots, aerial view of Yantala Offices, a sustainable office building made from earth designed by Mariam Issoufou
12. Medium shot, construction worker on scaffolding at the site of Yantala Offices
13. Close up shot, a construction worker prepares earth for use in construction of Yantala Offices
14. Wide shot, a construction worker prepares earth for use in construction of Yantala Offices
15. Wide shot, one of the nearly completed rooms of Yantala offices

Storyline

Mariam Issoufou is named a UNEP 2025 Champion of the Earth for her work on sustainable architecture. Mariam Issoufou Architects focuses on projects that are deeply rooted in local context and responsive to climate, tradition, and community needs. Originally from Niger, her work redefines the relationship between contemporary design and cultural heritage.