Nominations open for the 2012 MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity
Takuya Okada, Chairman of the AEON Environmental Foundation and Honorary Chairman of AEON Co., Ltd., announced today the opening of nominations for the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity.
The MIDORI Prize is a biennial international prize, established by the AEON Environmental Foundation, in 2010, during the International Year of Biodiversity, that honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity at global, regional or local levels. The prize aims to permit the winners to extend the developmental influence their biodiversity projects throughout the world, and to raise awareness about biodiversity.
The prize is co-organized with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and supported by the Ministry of Environment of Japan. The year 2012 will be the second time the MIDORI Prize is awarded.
The recipients in 2010 were Mr. Jean Lemire (biologist, explorer and film-maker, Canada), Dr. Gretchen C. Daily (Professor, Stanford University, United States of America) and Dr. Emil Salim (Chairman of the Advisory Council to the President of Indonesia and former Minister of State for Population and the Environment, Indonesia) who have made great efforts to protect the world’s biodiversity and the health of the ecosystem. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was selected as the recipient of the Special Prize for the International Year of Biodiversity. This prize was especially established to mark the 2010 International Year.
Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, the Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “The Secretariat is pleased to be a partner in the foundation and granting of the MIDORI Prize, an effective instrument that not only promotes public awareness, but also encourages activities in support of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. I would like to convey my respect and appreciation for the unique and generous contribution of AEON Environment Foundation that has made the Prize possible.”
Tayuka Okada said: “Today, the prevention of global warming and conservation of biodiversity are recognized as two challenging issues at the global level. In order to resolve such issues, we would like to contribute to promotion of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, approved at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, which started in 2011, through making diverse efforts.”
Nominations are solicited from all over the world. In order to select distinguished recipients from a broad range of fields, nominations will be accepted through the MIDORI Prize website and from academic advisors.
More information on the Press release.
