SA receives “Champion of the Earth” award: Recognised for global enviro leadership

At a glittering event hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday night, President Thabo Mbeki and the people of South Africa were recognised for outstanding achievements in the field of the environment.

Accepting the Champions of the Earth award on behalf of the President and all South Africans, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism said: "For our world to perish, all that is required of us is to do nothing. It is possible to integrate environmental protection and poverty eradication in a sustainable synergy. In beating poverty and in building prosperity we must not sacrifice our future by pillaging the planet."

The premier environmental award of the United Nations, this was the first time that the Champions of the Earth awards were presented. The six other recipients were the King and people of Bhutan; the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates; the Prince of Orange of the Netherlands; Ms. Julia Carabias Lillo of Mexico; Ms. Sheila Watt-Clourier of Canada; and Mr. Zhou Qiang and the All-China Youth Federation.

South Africa was recognised both for its own commitment to cultural and environmental diversity and its strong leadership role on the African continent through the environmental component of the New Partnership for Africa 's Development (NEPAD). "The timing of this ceremony could not be more significant," said the Minister. "With the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD13) meeting at the same time here in New York , we are demonstrating that the needs of people and the needs of our planet are one and the same. Sanitation, fresh water resources, global warming, climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification – these are all intertwined and interconnected challenges, shared by both the developed and the developing world."

Amongst the many specific South African achievements highlighted by UNEP was the fact that South Africa had pioneered the Peace Parks initiative, brought nearly 19% of its coastline under direct protection through the declaration last year of four new Marine Protected Areas, had created specialist environmental courts to back up a wide range of cutting-edge environmental legislation, and was party to more than 43 multilateral environmental agreements.

"There is no greater asset for humanity than the long-term health and well-being of our planet. There can be no goal more crucial to our survival than the protection and nurturing of our natural environment," said Minister Van Schalkwyk. "One of our most urgent challenges as the global community is to convince all nations to join and support the international effort to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses. I have no doubt that the next few years will be crucial to move us out of an approach of stalling, of avoidance, and of excuses to one where we all accept our responsibility to deal with climate change within an inclusive multilateral international framework. Climate change is a global scourge and requires a unified global partnership for action."

Thanking UNEP for the award the Minister added: "Such recognition is high praise and greatly motivational for our further efforts in environmental protection and promotion."