Brussels, 7 May 2009 –
A Brazilian scientific support centre and
a leading Swiss laboratory are among the
winners of the inaugural Green Star
Awards announced in Brussels today.
The Green Star Awards
honour individuals, organisations, and governments
who demonstrate outstanding dedication to
preventing, preparing for, and responding
to the environmental impacts of man-made
and natural disasters.
The 2009 winners are
Mike Cowing of the United Nations Environment
Programme; The Center for Scientific Support
in Disaster Situations (CENACID) of Paraná
Federal University in Brazil; Spiez Laboratory
of Switzerland; the Government of the Netherlands;
and the Government of Sweden.
"These first ever
recipients of the Green Star Awards have
demonstrated immense dedication to and capacity
for responding to environmental emergencies
and also to helping affected populations
both immediately and in the long run. Due
to climate change and the increased frequency
and severity of such disasters, it is important
that the world becomes aware of environmental
emergencies and the best way to respond
quickly and adequately," said Alexander
Likhotal, the President of Green Cross International.
.
The awards are a joint
initiative between Green Cross International
(GCI), the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), and the United Nations Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA).
"These awards highlight
the environmental impact of natural and
man-made disasters. I hope that by improving
awareness of the environmental consequences
of such emergencies, we can improve response
to future disasters by having more actors
involved," said John Holmes, United
Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
The Green Star Awards
recognize the efforts of leaders whose work
ultimately contributes to the stability
of post-crisis societies, UN Under-Secretary
General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim
Steiner, said.
"The links between
environmental degradation, natural resource
depletion and tensions that can evolve into
conflicts is becoming ever clearer to the
international community and will become
ever more challenging unless climate change
and unsustainable patterns of development
are comprehensively addressed," Mr
Steiner said.
"2009 needs to
be a year when the world not only seals
the deal on a transformational new climate
agreement, but also begins delivering a
Green Economy—one that accelerates the fundamental
shift to a low carbon and resource efficient
future that fosters innovation, decent employment
and equity between countries and communities,
especially in some of the poorest and most
vulnerable parts of the globe," he
added.
The new awards scheme
provides a platform to promote and increase
international participation in preventing,
preparing for and responding to a range
of environmental disasters.
An international jury
of environmental emergency experts selected
the winners – two governments, two organizations
and one individual – based on their work
in a variety of domains, including international
capacity-building missions aimed at helping
countries prepare for environmental emergencies
and support to international response missions
to countries affected by environmental emergencies.
The awards ceremony
is held in conjunction with the 8th meeting
of the international Advisory Group on Environmental
Emergencies (AGEE), which is being hosted
this year by the European Commission.
The seventh meeting
of the AGEE in June 2007 recommended that
an award be created to highlight the importance
of environmental emergencies. They are defined
as a sudden onset disaster or accident resulting
from natural, technological or human-induced
factors, or a combination of these, that
cause or threaten to cause severe environmental
damage and harm to human health and livelihoods.
More detailed information
on the Green Star Award and all the winners,
including biographies and photographs, is
available at www.unep.org/greenstar
For further information, please contact:
Nick Nuttall, UNEP
Michelle Laug, Green Cross International
Matthew Conway, Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment
Unit
