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下个月，联合国环境规划署 (UNEP) 将公布2021年度地球卫士奖——联合国最高级别环保荣誉——获奖者名单。
但在奖项揭晓之前，往届的三名获胜者于格拉斯哥的第二十六届联合国气候变化大会上大放异彩，捧得又一项环境领域大奖。
来自印度的2020年“青年卫士”维德尤特·莫罕（Vidyut Mohan)、来自圣地亚哥的2018年“青年卫士”盖特·哈尔伯恩(Gator Halpern) 以及2019“地球卫士奖”得主哥斯达黎加赢得了由剑桥公爵和公爵夫人皇家基金会颁发的首届“为地球奋斗奖”(Earthshot Prize)，联合国环境署作为该基金会的全球联盟合作伙伴，对该奖项给予了部分支持。
“为地球奋斗奖”共收到来自世界各地的750份提名，包括联合国环境署在内的众多知名机构做出提名推荐。专家咨询小组对被提名人进行评审并从中选出了14个国家的15名决赛选手。最终共有5名选手捧得奖杯。每位获奖者将得到100 万英镑的奖金，用于支持他们开展环境和自然保护项目，将他们的解决方案主流化，加以复制和推广。这5名获奖者中，有3名是联合国环境署「地球卫士奖」和「地球卫士青年奖」往届的获奖者。
联合国环境署副执行主任乔伊斯·姆苏亚(Joyce Msuya)说：“看到我们往届的地球卫士和青年卫士们凭借其创造更绿色、更可持续未来的决心和努力而再次获得认可，我们深感自豪。他们以创新之举应对环境挑战的事迹，正激励着更多人成为自己所在社区的环境变革者。”
维德尤特·莫罕 (Vidyut Mohan) 凭借其与他人共同创建的“Takachar” 公司而被评选为联合国环境署2020年青年卫士。自2018年以来，“Takachar”将4500多位农民手中的稻壳、稻草和椰子壳变废为宝。这些农民在当地公益组织的倡导下，摒弃了露天焚烧农场残留物的恶习，转而将这些残留物转化为增值产品以赚取额外收入。农民们运用“Takachar”研发的便携式生物质升级设备，将废弃物转化为活性炭、木炭和肥料等化学品。
盖特·哈尔伯恩(Gator Halpern) 是联合国环境署2018年拉丁美洲青年卫士。作为“Coral Vita” 的联合创始人，Halpern 创建了世界上第一个陆基珊瑚商业化养殖场，旨在恢复垂死的珊瑚礁，作为海洋生物生活和繁殖的宝地，以及全球海洋的过滤器，珊瑚礁对维持健康的海洋环境至关重要。“Coral Vita”使用尖端的微破碎技术，可将珊瑚的生长速度提高为正常速度的50倍，从而使珊瑚礁的修复周期从数十年缩短为数月。
哥斯达黎加于2019年获得了联合国环境署地球卫士奖“政策领导力”类别奖项。此次，哥斯达黎加凭借其在保护自然方面取得的显著进展以及应对气候变化的宏伟政策，而获得了“为地球奋斗奖”委员会的青睐和表彰。哥斯达黎通过自身努力书写下让人信服的故事，证明了环境保护与经济发展并不对立。如今，哥斯达黎加95%以上的电力来自可再生能源。经过长期的艰苦努力，这个中美洲国家也成功扭转了长达数十年的森林砍伐危机。
UNEP’s 2021 Champions of the Earth will be announced in December. As in years past, the rigorous selection process for this year’s winners was done by a panel of environmental experts. Each of the nominees was expected to demonstrate through their work that collective action is the only way we can meet the multiplying threats to the planet, including climate change, pollution and species loss.
Since their inception in 2005, the annual awards have honoured the world’s most dynamic environmental leaders, from pioneering scientists to community activists to heads of state.
In announcing the call for nominations in January 2021, UNEP echoed a warning from UN Secretary-General António Guterres that humanity is waging war against nature. “Without bold action, ecosystems will erode, air and water pollution will continue to cripple human health, and millions of species risk extinction,” he said.
“The worsening impacts of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, pollution and waste can no longer be ignored,” said Msuya. “That’s why the Champions of the Earth are so important. They show us that a better way, a more sustainable way, is possible.”
The UN Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth and the Young Champions of the Earth honour individuals, groups and organizations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. Handed out annually, the Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour. The laureates will be announced in December 2021.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. Visit www.decadeonrestoration.org to learn more.
