PM Narendra Modi conferred UNEP Champions of Earth Award 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with United Nation’s Champions of the Earth Award 2018 by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at ceremony in Delhi. He is among the six winners who received this award. PM Modi was jointly awarded this award along with French President Emmanuel Macron under the ‘Political Leadership’ category for their work in championing International Solar Alliance (ISA) and promoting new areas of cooperation on environmental action. PM Modi is third Indian to receive this award after Tulsi Tanti, Chairman of the Suzlon Group, and Afroz Alam, a lawyer who led clean-up at Mumbai’s Versova beach.

Cochin International Airport also received Champions of Earth Award 2018 for ‘Entrepreneurial Vision and for its leadership in the use of sustainable energy. It is world’s first fully solar-powered airport.

Champions of Earth Award

It is UN’s highest environmental recognition celebrating exceptional figures from public and private sectors and from civil society, whose actions have had transformative positive impact on the environment. It was established in 2005 by United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment). This award programme is successor to UNEP’s Global 500 Roll of Honour. The award is presented in five categories – Lifetime Achievement, Policy Leadership,  Entrepreneurial Vision, Action and Inspiration and Science & Innovation.  Since its inception thirteen years ago, the awards have recognized 84 laureates.
Past laureates include: Afroz Shah, who led world’s largest beach cleanup (2016), Rwandan President Paul Kagame (2016), Ocean Cleanup CEO Boyan Slat (2014), scientist-explorer Bertrand Piccard, developer of Google Earth Brian McClendon (2013), and former US Vice-President Al Gore (2007).
 

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2018