UN-HABITAT chief wins prestigious environmental award

Friday, 26 June 2009 13:25

UN-HABITAT’s Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka has been named one of three winners of the 2009 Göteborg Award, the prestigious “Nobel Prize in Environment”.

The Göteborg Award is now celebrated for the tenth time. The jubilee prize of one million Swedish Kroner (USD 126,775) will be shared equally between Mrs. Tibaijuka, Mr. Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, and Mr. Sören Hermansen, of Samsö, Denmark who was named by Time Magazine as a 2008 Hero of the Environment. Last year’s winners included Mr. Al Gore the former US Vice-President and global environment champion.

“We are thrilled to award our jubilee prize to these brilliant visionaries, strategists and system transformers,” said Mr. Stefan Edman, Chairman of the Award Jury since its conception in 2000. The Award was established by the City of Göteborg and several interested companies in 1999 to “stimulate further positive developments and recognize strategic work for national and international sustainable development”.

Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka thanked Mr. Stefan Edman and the members of the jury. “I am honored to be given this award. I accept it with humility and on behalf of all of my colleagues. This recognition comes at an opportune time. With over 50% of humanity now living in urban areas, the award highlights the urgent need for sustainable urbanization for the future of the planet,” said Mrs. Tibaijuka, who was launching UN-HABITAT's campaign on sustainable urbanization in the Pacific region when she heard the news.

The award is funded by the City of Göteborg together with the Second Swedish National Pension Fund, Carl Bennet AB, Elanders AB, Eldan Recycling, Folksam, Götaverken Miljö, Handelsbanken, Nordea, Peab, Schenker AB and SKF.

The Jury panel said in its announcement of the 2009 winners: “Each one comes from a separate continent and they are, locally and globally, knowledgeable, engaged and impatient doers. They are ambassadors for one of the most decisive factors for humanity – the battle for sustainable development in the cities and towns around the globe.”

The Award winners will receive their prize at a prize ceremony on the 26th of November 2009 in Göteborg, Sweden.

For more details:

http://www.goteborgaward.com/se/

http://www.unhabitat.org/

Source: UN-Habitat news, 22.6.2009; Göteborg Award for Sustainable Development Press Release, 17.6.2009

(UN Photo: Evan Schneider)