The Cronkite Award was established in honor of Walter Cronkite, the legendary CBS anchor widely cited as “the most trusted man in America.” He served as the Institute’s honorary chairperson for over a decade. First held on Martha’s Vineyard with Cronkite’s CBS colleagues: Bob Schieffer and Nick Clooney, the Cronkite Awards have been held in New York City in conjunction with the U.N. Opening Assembly and Climate Week and at the State Capitols of Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. In 2025, the event was held in Nice, France at the U.N. Ocean Summit3. The 2026 Cronkite Ocean Awards will be held in Cascais, Portugal.
The Institute’s 2024 Cronkite Ocean Awards were held in partnership with Classic Harbor Line in conjunction with Climate Week New York City to spotlight The U.N. Goal #14 • Life Below Water and U.N. Ocean Decade.
The Institute’s 2023 Cronkite Awards honored government leaders who were championing Climate Education from Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
