Nominations are now open for the 2012 Champions of the Earth -- the United Nations' flagship environment award that recognizes outstanding visionaries and leaders in the fields of policy, science, entrepreneurship and civil society action.

Next year’s award ceremony comes in the run up to Rio+20 or two decades after the Rio Earth Summit of 1992 that established treaties on biodiversity, climate change and land desertification and set the course for contemporary sustainable development. It also comes 40 years after the Stockholm Conference that established the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

The prize seeks to honor men and women whose actions and leadership have made a positive impact on the environment. Whether by helping to improve the management of natural resources, demonstrating new ways to tackle climate change or raising awareness of emerging environmental challenges, the Champions of the Earth should serve as an inspiration for transformative action across the world.

The 2012 Champions of the Earth Awards will be especially interested in candidates whose achievements can be significantly linked to the outcomes of Stockholm in 1972 and Rio in 1992. Nominations of individuals and organizations providing leadership and creative contributions towards Rio+20 — under its twin themes of a Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and an institutional framework for sustainable development — will also be keenly considered. A laureate will be selected for each of the following categories: Policy, Leadership, Science and Innovation, Entrepreneurial Vision, and Inspiration and Action. 

Form More Information:

http://www.unep.org/champions/

More information about the Nomination Form: