More Champions of the Earth needed in Asia On April 21, seven Champions of the Earth were recognised in Singapore by the United Nations Environmental Programme, the first time the global awards programme has been staged in the Asian region. For UNEP, Increasing awareness of the Earth’s most pressing environmental issues and developing practical solutions has become a key global challenge. “Through Champions of the Earth, we aim to highlight to individuals as well as governments the importance of sustaining the environment, as well as to set a global benchmark for environmental action through the exemplary actions of the 2006 Champions of the Earth honourees,” it said. The seven winners were chosen from 80 nominees. The 2006 Champions of the Earth are: • Tewolde Gebre Egziabher of Ethiopia, a champion against the patenting of life forms and for community rights in Africa.  • Tommy Koh of Singapore for his contributions to the cause of the  environment by chairing the Earth Summit and the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea. • Mikhail Gorbachev of the Russian Federation, a champion in the field of international environmental politics and for conflict prevention on waterways globally. • Rosa Elena Simeon Negrin of Cuba, a champion of small island developing states and a subscriber and regional force behind the philosophy of ‘thinking globally and acting locally”. • The Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), a champion for over 15 years in the field of women’s economic, social and gender rights and a beacon for the empowerment of women across the environment and development debate. • Mohamed El-Ashry of Egypt, a champion for the wise use of natural resources and a former head of the multi-billion Global Environment Facility, which helps developing countries onto the sustainable development path. • Massoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s first female vice-president and a champion of cleaner production in the petrochemical industry. In bringing the event to Singapore, UNEP said it was critical that Champions of the Earth sent a strong message to the Asian region. “Asia is on the front-line of the global environmental crisis and there is an urgent need to address its environmental issues. Driving greater environmental awareness and action in Asia is a key priority. By hosting Champions of the Earth in Singapore, we aim to engage the region and inform people and governments here about successful environmental initiatives the world over,” it said. “Holding the award for the first time in Asia/Singapore is a significant milestone for us and creates a strong opportunity to champion greater environmental awareness amongst individuals, organizations and governments in Asia.” The winners were honoured on 21 April at a gala event hosted by UNEP, the Singapore Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the Singapore Tourism Board, with the support of various sponsors and partners including the Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings (APRIL), the Lien Foundation and Nanyang Technological University. Other supporters of the ceremony include: CNN Fortune, Time, Eco 4 The World Foundation, Singapore Environment Council, Channel News Asia and Today. The event and the inspiring stories of the Champions will be broadcast across the Asia Pacific region by CNN and featured in such leading publications as Time and Fortune magazines. Klaus Toepfer, UNEP’s Executive Director, said, “I believe that this event comes at an exciting time, where the last 12 months will go down as a period in history when we rediscovered the crucial importance of the environment for our economic, social and spiritual lives. “A renaissance in environmental politics and policy does not come in a vacuum.  It emerges as a result of the collective efforts of governments, organizations and private business. It needs the long-term commitment and vision of men and women.  It needs people who have been and continue to be Champions of the Earth.” STB said that Singapore was chosen as the Asian host city because of its leading position in managing the environment and sustainable development in the region, and strong track record in hosting high-profile events. “STB is intent on growing the COE Awards in 2007 and 2008. We are also keen to attract more international organisations to anchor their events in Singapore.  We hope to propel COE to an even higher international profile, and to augment COE and UNEP's profile in Asia.  Looking ahead, one idea which we will explore is to expand the award ceremony to include a business summit that extends a bridge between UNEP's key programmes and the business community in Asia,” said Aloysius Arlando, assistant chief executive, BT-MICE Division.