25.09.2009
Mr Børge Brende will be awarded Emisoft's Sustainability Now Prize for 2009. He receives the prize for his work and dedication in promoting sustainable development, particularly at the crossroads between environmental and commercial development. Brende has been the Minister of Environment in Norway and later of Industry and Trade. He has played an active role in preserving the environment in a sustainable way both on the national and the international arenas through these and other positions.
Brende has served as chairman of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and he has since 2005 been international vice chairman of the China Council for the International Cooperation on Environment and Development (advisory board to the State Council). His last position before becoming secretary general of the Norwegian Red Cross was managing director of the World Economic Forum.
Brende belongs to the group of people who has understood the close relationship between environment and climate and he has worked with these issues both in Norway and internationally. Brende is known to be both an ideologist and one who is able to put his ideas into realization. As a minister, he showed that he is not afraid of making decisions. But these decisions must be made on the basis of a sound and thorough preparatory work and in cooperation with his staff.
Norway has a long coastline and a large economic zone. The importance of a healthy marine environment is clearly seen by Brende. While being a minister, he put a lot of work into saving and preserving the Norwegian coral reefs, including Røstrevet which is the world's largest coldwater reef. In fact, he has made Norway to a pioneer internationally in relation to the preservation of coldwater reefs. For his work in this sector, he was given the "Gift to the Earth"-Award from WWF (2003). Another important issue for Brende is the development of a sound (offshore) oil&gas-industry that is not threatening the environment.
Brende will give the first presentation of the Sustainability Now! Conference on Tuesday 27th October 2009.
Emisoft's SustainabilityNow Prize is an international prize awarded annually at Emisoft's Sustainability Now! Conference. The Prize is given to one or several persons or organisations who - in an outstanding way - have contributed to promote sustainable environmental solutions par excellence for the society. Solutions at the crossroads between environmental and commercial development are particularly favoured.
The Award Committee has been:
Rune Neteland, CEO of Emisoft Marta Szigeti Bonifert, The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe Professor Domingo Jiménez Beltrán, Advisor of the Spanish Observatory for Sustainability and former Director of the European Environmental Agency