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South Korean President To Visit Dubai To Receive Zayed International Prize For The Environment |
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The President of the Republic of Korea, Mr. Lee Myung-bak has won the top prize in the Zayed International Prize for Global leadership in environment for the year 2011. The award has been conferred on Mr Lee Myung-bak, for his committment to “Green Growth,” a new paradigm for economic development that binds together environment protection and economic prosperity, creating new growth engines and jobs through green technology and clean energy. Mr Lee Myung-bak will receive his award in Dubai from the Patron of the award, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai at a special Award Ceremony on March 14th 2011 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center. President Lee Myung-bak’s leadership was a central driver in transforming the Republic of Korea’s development path into a low carbon, resource efficient, and Green Economy. A statement from the Award committee said that the Jury decided that the achievements of the prize winners fulfill the objectives of the Zayed Prize, in line with the philosophy of the late Sheikh Zayed and the vision of the H.H. the founder and Patron, and they are worth the award. The prize value of US $ one million is divided into three categories with the top honor of $500,000 being awarded for Global leadership in environment which is given to an individual or organization with a clear impact on the international policy in protecting environment and achieving sustainable development. $300,000 for the Zayed Prize for Scientific and technological achievements in environment. This category is given to an individual or organization that has a world-known contribution in the scientific search and eco-friendly technology that pushes environment efforts towards success. This reflects the country’s commitment to scientific search and clean technology. $200,000 for Zayed Prize for Environmental action leading to positive change in society. This category is given to a world-known individual or organization for what he\they have done to promote environment works and change trends and concepts of volunteer work and civil community systems and coordinating among the private sector and government & non-government organizations in terms of balanced economic and environmental development. Sir Partha Dasgupta won the Zayed Prize for Scientific and technological achievements in environment. Sir Partha Dasgupta is the Frank Ramsey Professor of Economics at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom and one of the most outstanding environmental economists of his generation. An Indian national, he has been one of the leading economists making the link between sustainability and economics in many ways well before such work was fashionable or fully understood. Professor Dasgupta coined the term “inclusive wealth” to spotlight the way conventional measures of wealth - primarily GDP - fail to capture natural capital or environmental assets. Dr. Mathis Wackernagel and Prof. Najib Saab from Lebanon shared the Zayed Prize for Environmental action leading to positive change in society. Dr. Mathis Wackernagel has, through the co-founding of the GFN in 2003, translated the complexity of humanity’s impact on the environment and natural resources into a more understandable and actionable form. The concept of ecological limits and relating the demands of human beings to the planet’s available ecological resources has attracted and is catalyzing action among governments, business and civil society. Under Swiss-born Dr. Wackernagel’s leadership, the Footprint is now recognized as a leading and highly comprehensible indicator of sustainability. Prof. Najib Saab founded the groundbreaking and highly successful Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia (Environment and Development) magazine in 1996. The magazine triggered unprecedented environmental awareness at all levels, built a new relationship between the policy-makers and people of the Arab world with the issues of environment and sustainability, and placed the environment high on national and regional agendas. The magazine and Mr Saab’s vision also acted as a spring board for a wider pan-Arab initiative which catalyzed in 2006 the establishment of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). The Award Ceremony on Monday 14th March 2011 will be attended by Environment Ministers from different parts of the world, heads of regional and international organizations, VIPs and international media |
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