2008 Champions of the Earth Recognized

2008 Champions of the Earth Recognized

Feb, 2008  - A prime minister, a former prime 
minister, and a prince are among seven Champions of the Earth selected for 
recognition as outstanding environmental achievers by the UN Environment 
Programme. The work of this year's champions - one from each region of the 
world - is all related to global warming in some way. 
Prime Minister Helen Clark is being honored with a UNEP Special Prize in 
addition to the Champion of the Earth recognition. "By setting a carbon 
neutral goal for New Zealand, Prime Minister Clark has put her country at 
the forefront of today's environmental challenges," UNEP said, announcing 
the awards on Monday. 

Three major policy initiatives launched by Clark attracted UNEP's 
favorable attention - the Emissions Trading Scheme; the Energy Strategy; 
and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy. 
Clark said the Champion of the Earth Award is an honor. "For New Zealand 
to become a truly sustainable nation, it requires government, business, 
and community to each take special responsibilities and pursue a common 
interest," she said. 
"It is clearly the responsibility of government to give leadership. It 
reflects our belief that pursuing sustainability is not only the right 
thing to do, but is also a strategic investment in New Zealand's overall 
future, said Clark. "Further sustainability initiatives will be unveiled 
by the government this year." 
"We also look forward to hosting World Environment Day on June 5, which 
will focus on opportunities for countries, companies and communities to 
'kick the carbon habit' and make the transition to a low carbon economy 
and lifestyle," she said. 
The Champions of the Earth prizes will be presented at a ceremony in 
Singapore on Earth Day April 22. No monetary reward is attached to the 
prize; each laureate receives a trophy made of recycled metal designed by 
the Kenyan sculptor Kioko and representing the fundamental elements for 
life on Earth - sun, air, land and water.

The 2008 Champions of the Earth:

  Africa: Balgis Osman-Elasha, a senior researcher at Sudan's Higher 
  Council for Environment and Natural Resources;

  Asia and the Pacific: Atiq Rahman, executive director of the Bangladesh 
  Centre for Advanced Studies.

  Europe: Prince Albert II of Monaco. 

  Latin America and the Caribbean: Liz Thompson, the former energy and 
  environment minister of Barbados.

  North America: Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation 
  and Better World Fund, former U.S. Senator from Colorado.

  West Asia: Abdul-Qader Ba-Jammal, secretary-general of the Yemen 
  People's General Congress, former prime minister of Yemen.
  
"Today, we face environmental challenges of unprecedented magnitude. More 
than ever, our planet needs committed leaders and achievers like the 2008 
Champions of the Earth who spur real, positive change and fuel innovative 
solutions to environmental problems," said UNEP Executive Director Achim 
Steiner. 
"In doing so, these inspirational individuals demonstrate not only that 
action and different development paths are possible but also the abundant 
opportunities arising as a result of a transformation towards a green 
economy," he said.
 
Africa:

Dr. Balgis Osman-Elasha, a senior scientist from Sudan, is at the 
forefront of global research on climate change. A leading author of the 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, reports, she has produced 
groundbreaking work on global warming in Africa, with an emphasis on 
northern and eastern Africa. 
Dr. Osman-Elasha's emphasis on global warming and adaptation in Sudan is 
vital given the strong interlinkages between climate change and conflict 
in the country. Her work as a prominent researcher on climate change makes 
her a true role model for women in Africa, UNEP said. 
The award also recognizes Dr. Osman-Elasha's efforts to educate Sudanese 
university students about the issue of climate change, raising awareness 
among the country's new generation.
 
Asia and the Pacific: 

Dr. Atiq Rahman is an eloquent advocate for sustainable development from 
Bangladesh - a country highly vulnerable to climate change and flooding. 
As one of the top specialists in his field, the executive director of the 
Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies transformed the nongovernmental 
organization into a leading think-tank in South Asia on sustainable 
development issues. 
Dr. Rahman is a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
Change. He played a leading role in the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de 
Janeiro and in negotiations leading to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. He 
participates in the current climate talks leading to a successor agreement 
after Kyoto expires in 2012. 
Dr. Rahman's extensive publications on the subjects of environment and 
development in Bangladesh are a reference for his peers, and he has also 
developed an innovative post-graduate course on sustainable development 
and North-South dialogue. 

Europe: 

One of Prince Albert II's first acts as sovereign of Monaco was to sign 
the Kyoto Protocol - an eloquent sign of his longstanding commitment to 
the environment. Prince Albert has been a prominent voice on environmental 
issues since the early 1990s and he has been strongly involved in raising 
awareness on climate change, leading an expedition to the North Pole in 
2006 to draw attention to the consequences of global warming. 
The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which he created in 2006, works 
actively on protecting the environment and promoting sustainable 
development, with a focus on biodiversity loss, water and the fight 
against climate change. Prince Albert is also a patron of the Billion Tree 
Campaign, which successfully led to the planting of well over a billion 
trees across the planet in 2007. 
Prince Albert has also shown remarkable commitment to sustainable 
development on his home turf of Monaco. Under his leadership, Monaco is 
now applying an exemplary policy on carbon dioxide reduction in every 
sphere of society as well as in the business sector.
 
Latin America and the Caribbean:

Liz Thompson has become one of the recognized leaders on environmental 
issues of the small island developing states. 
During her time as minister of energy and the environment of Barbados, 
which ended in 2006, she enacted a range of progressive policies for 
sustainable development and environmental protection. 
She also became a key voice to raise awareness of global warming in 
Barbados - a country where the challenges of climate change and 
conservation are of particular relevance. 
Thompson has also played a role in environmental awareness and protection 
across the Caribbean region. She has encouraged small island states to 
diversify their economies, undertake sustainability assessments, and 
promote community-based programs that have positive environmental impacts. 

North America: 

For the last 30 years, Timothy Wirth has been an advocate for 
environmental issues in the United States. As the president of the United 
Nations Foundation and Better World Fund, Wirth has established the 
environment as a key priority and is mobilizing strong resources to 
address crucial issues from biodiversity to climate change and renewable 
energy. 
A strong supporter of the Kyoto Protocol, Wirth was instrumental in 
raising awareness and calling for policy action on global warming during 
his time as United States Under-Secretary of State for Global Affairs from 
1993 to 1997. 
Wirth was a steadfast advocate on environmental issues during his time as 
a member of the U.S. Senate, when he engaged in a number of conservation 
and natural resource issues in his home state of Colorado. Wirth authored 
the Colorado Wilderness Bill as well as other successful legislation on 
energy, conservation and environmental protection. 

West Asia: 

Abdul-Qader Ba-Jammal has had a pioneering influence on environmental 
protection in Yemen - a country which faces acute challenges from water 
scarcity to desertification. 
During his time as prime minister from 2001 to 2006, he established 
Yemen's Ministry of Water and Environment and Environment Protection 
Authority, solicited national and international funding for environmental 
conservation and sustainable water management, and implemented a series of 
groundbreaking environmental policies in Yemen and the region. 
Ba-Jammal orchestrated conservation efforts for the Socotra archipelago, a 
site of global importance for biodiversity. The Socotra conservation fund 
came into being under his patronage, and the archipelago was listed as a 
UNESCO Man and Biosphere reserve in 2003. 
Among other achievements, Ba-Jammal supported the declaration of several 
marine and land protected areas in Yemen and established a state agency 
for the development of Yemeni islands with a focus on marine resources 
conservation. Along with Ba-Jammal's work on Yemen's water sector, all 
these projects serve as key examples of environmental awareness in a 
region where water and conservation issues are of vital importance - 
increasingly so in a climate-constrained world. 

---