Nominations open for unep’s Champions of the Earth Award
2012 Awards Come in Run Up to Rio+20 and UNEP's 40th Anniversary Celebrations
Nairobi, 1 September 2011 - Nominations are now open for the 2012 Champions of the Earth -- the United Nations' flagship environment award that recognizes outstanding visionaries and leaders in the fields of policy, science, entrepreneurship and civil society action.
Next year’s award ceremony comes in the run up to Rio+20 or two decades after the Rio Earth Summit of 1992 that established treaties on biodiversity, climate change and land desertification and set the course for contemporary sustainable development. It also comes 40 years after the Stockholm Conference that established the UN Environment Program (UNEP).
The prize, which is organized by UNEP, seeks to honor men and women whose actions and leadership have made a positive impact on the environment. Whether by helping to improve the management of natural resources, demonstrating new ways to tackle climate change or raising awareness of emerging environmental challenges, the Champions of the Earth should serve as an inspiration for transformative action across the world.
The 2012 Champions of the Earth Awards will be especially interested in candidates whose achievements can be significantly linked to the outcomes of Stockholm in 1972 and Rio in 1992. Nominations of individuals and organizations providing leadership and creative contributions towards Rio+20 — under its twin themes of a Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and an institutional framework for sustainable development — will also be keenly considered. A laureate will be selected for each of the following categories: Policy, Leadership, Science and Innovation, Entrepreneurial Vision, and Inspiration and Action.
“The UNEP Champions of the Earth are pioneers and leaders in the fields of environmental sustainability with proven track records in advocacy and actions that are catalyzing a transition to a low carbon, more resource efficient future,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, “Next year in Brazil, governments will meet to evolve sustainable development under the themes of the Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and an institutional framework for sustainable development. The experiences, insights and practical achievements of UNEP’s Champions of the Earth can illuminate many of the transformational pathways that can make Rio+20 the success it needs to be.”
LG, corporate partner for the UNEP Champions of the Earth Award since 2010, reaffirmed the importance of celebrating role models who work to better the environment. “LG has been actively pursuing new environmental and energy-related initiatives not only because they’re good growth areas for LG, but because it’s the right thing to do” said Young-kee Kim, Chief Relations Officer of LG Electronics, “LG believes that the Champions of the Earth Award program can be the foundation to develop new environmental leaders among global citizens, to help make the world a better place for all.”
The 2011 laureates, who were honored at a high-level Award Ceremony in New York in May, included:
· Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Policy Leadership category, for his commitment to lead international efforts to combat climate change;
· Russian scientist Dr. Olga Speranskaya, Science & Innovation category, for successfully mobilizing civil society in eliminating obsolete pesticides and toxic chemicals in the former Soviet region;
· BROAD Group’s CEO, Mr. Zhang Yue, Entrepreneurial Vision category, for his business leadership on energy efficiency and sustainable production;
· Switzerland’s Louis Palmer and Benin’s Angélique Kidjo, Inspiration & Action category co-winners, for raising global awareness of the need for renewable energy and sustainable transport, and for advocating social equity and women empowerment in support of sustainable development, respectively.
Members of the public can now nominate a candidate who they believe is a true champion of green development. Nominations will be accepted until October 31, 2011 and can be made via the website:www.unep.org/champions.
Notes to Editors:
About the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) will take place in Brazil on 4-6 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. It is envisaged as a Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives. The Conference will result in a focused political document.
The objective of the Conference is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging challenges.
The Conference will focus on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.
For more information about Rio+20, please visit:http://www.uncsd2012.org
About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 93,000 people working in over 120 operations around the world. With 2010 global sales of KRW 55.8 trillion (USD 48.2 billion), LG comprises four business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, and Air Conditioning & Energy Solutions. LG is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula 1™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event.
For more information about LG, please visithttp://www.LGnewsroom.com.
For more information about UNEP’s Champions of the Earth Award, please contact:
UNEP; Wambui Munge on +254 20 7625490 or
E-mail: wambui.munge@unep.org
LG Electronics, Inc; Claire Jang on +822 3777 3925 or
Email: claire.jang@lge.com
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