UYUNKAR DOMINGO PEAS NAMPICHKAI

Ecuador

The winner of WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Award 2025 on the theme Trailblazing Leadership was Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, an indigenous leader from Ecudor that united 30 indigenous nations across Ecuador and Peru to safeguard 35 million hectares of amazonian rainforest.

Domingo Peas, an Indigenous leader from the Achuar nation in Ecuador, has dedicated his life to protecting the Amazon and strengthening the unity of its peoples. His leadership is not about standing at the forefront, but about walking together - guided by collective responsibility and an unbreakable bond with nature. In the Achuar worldview, there is no separation between people and the environment; to harm the land is to harm ourselves.

With a leadership philosophy rooted in deep listening, consensus-building, and decisive action, Domingo has played a key role in shaping a future where long-term sustainability takes precedence over short-term gains. His efforts were instrumental in Ecuador’s historic 2023 referendum, where voters chose to “keep oil in the soil” and protect Yasuní National Park. As president of the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, he has navigated 30 Indigenous nations across Ecuador and Peru, collectively safeguarding a rainforest area as vast as Germany—an ecosystem vital not only for local communities but for the entire planet’s climate stability.

Domingo is also redefining what sustainable development looks like. He rejects economic models that rely on exploitation and instead cultivates solutions that honour both people and nature, from agroforestry to technological innovations that prevent illegal deforestation. His vision is clear: we all "win or lose together."

From the heart of the Amazon to global arenas such as COP summits and the World Economic Forum, Domingo Peas carries forward the voices of Indigenous communities, showing that true leadership means listening, uniting, and acting with courage.

For his unifying and visionary leadership in environmental stewardship, Domingo Peas was awarded the WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Award 2025.