The inclusion of Piccard, who with Brian Jones was the first to complete a non-stop balloon flight around the globe, marks the second year in a row that a Swiss who has circumnavigated the globe was included among the winners. Last year, Louis Palmer, who led a fleet of electric vehicles around the world in 80 days and earlier became the first person to circle the earth in a solar-powered vehicle, won the Inspiration and Action award. Piccard, 54, aims to become the first person to travel the circumference of the globe in a piloted fixed-wing aircraft using only solar power.
‘Champions of the Earth’, which was launched in 2005, is the UN’s flagship environmental award. To date, it has recognized 51 individuals and organizations for their leadership, vision, inspiration and action on the environment.
The list of previous Champions laureates include former US Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Chinese actress and environmental advocate Zhou Xun, the Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO) and global music legend Angélique Kidjo.
Additional Quotes
Fábio C. Barbosa: “I’m very proud and very honored to receive this award. I think it’s a stimulus for all the people who helped me from day one, coming from nowhere, when the subject (sustainable business practices) was really not on the agenda of any major company – so it’s recognition that is important, not for one action specifically, but for what was done over a certain period of time.”
Dr. Sander van der Leeuw: “This Champion of the Earth award means a lot to me in many different ways. It means on the one hand, beyond the recognition and stimulus to go on with this research, that I can actually feel more confident about using these approaches in laying the basis for the sustainability education for the next generation.”
Dr. Bertrand Piccard: “Exploration in the 21st century is no longer about conquering new territories, but about developing clean technologies in order to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Samson Parashina: “This award means great things to me. It energizes me and enables me in the pursuit of the ideal that we stand for. The Maasai have been here for centuries. They have to adapt to a changing climate, by creating new green jobs and protect the flora and fauna to create a future for the generation to come.”
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber: “The UAE’s environmental stewardship was instilled by our nation’s founding father and president, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He encouraged us to conserve our environment and preserve it for future generations. Today, safe-guarding our environment and economic sustainability are at the core of the UAE’s development plans. It is a great honour for me, Masdar, and the people of the UAE to be recognized for our efforts in fulfilling Sheikh Zayed’s environmental legacy through this award.”
Achim Steiner: “Each of these six winners has stood up to be counted – often in the face of opposition from those not championing change but championing the status quo. In doing so, these winners have and continue to display the political will, fresh thinking and creative solutions for tackling the drivers of climate change, mobilizing communities to protect their ecosystems, taking uncompromising business decisions based on sustainability models or literally circling the globe to raise awareness of the need for clean energy.”
Source: UNEP.
