Gothenburg 21 May 2013 - The Jury of the Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development announced Pavan Sukhdev, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, as a winner of the 2013 Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development. He receives this prestigious award in recognition for his role as the study leader of "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity" (TEEB), a global initiative focused on drawing attention to the economic benefits of biodiversity.
The Jury announced both Pavan Sukhdev and Janine Benyus, as the winners of this years's award in recognition for their contribution towards bringing focus to nature's services and ingenious solutions on which human survival and well being is dependent.
"Over billions of years of evolution, nature has been creating vital functions that we are only just starting to understand the value of, and ingenious solutions that we can draw inspiration from. This year's winners have successfully developed tools for measuring the value of nature's vital functions as well as opportunities to learn from nature's intelligent solutions," commented Jury chairman John Holmberg.
The Jury said Pavan Sukhdev receives the Gothenburg Award for his role as a bridge-builder and for his ability to present and bring international focus to this important area.
"I feel very honoured to receive this prize from the City of Gothenburg. I firmly believe that the well-being of humanity is connected to nature thriving. As a race, our survival depends on our ability to live in harmony with nature, if we are to continue to receive the services and solutions she provides. I receive this award with humility and with credit and thanks to the efforts of the whole 'TEEB' Community, thanks to whom nature's contribution to our well being is no longer invisible," said Mr. Sukhdev.
The Gothenburg Award was founded in 1999 by the City of Gothenburg and several companies with the aim to stimulate further development and recognise strategic work in sustainable development, nationally and internationally.
This is the fourteenth time the prize has been awarded and previous winners have included: Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations (2011), Al Gore, USA (2007) and Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway (2002).
The winners will receive their prize of SEK 1 million at an award ceremony on 21 November in Gothenburg.
The Award is funded by the City of Gothenburg together with Region Västra Götaland and the following 13 companies: the Second Swedish National Pension Fund, Carl Bennet AB, Christan Berner Invest AB, Elanders AB, Eldan Recycling, Folksam, Handelsbanken, Kooperativa Förbundet, Nordea, PEAB, SEB, DB Schenker AB and SKF.
About Pavan Sukhdev, is the Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the founder & chair of GIST Advisory, a consulting firm specializing in valuing & managing environmental impacts and dependencies at all levels. A career banker, Pavan Sukhdev took a sabbatical from Deutsche Bank from 2008 till 2010 in order to deliver the environmental projects "TEEB" and the "Green Economy Report" for UNEP's Green Economy Initiative. Pavan Sukhdev was appointed Study Leader of TEEB in early 2008 by the European Union Commission and Germany whilst still working full time at Deutsche Bank.
Pavan Sukhdev continues his involvement in TEEB as the Chair of the Advisory Board and was appointed a UN Goodwill Ambassador in 2012.
About TEEB The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) is a global initiative hosted by UNEP, focused on drawing attention to the economic benefits of biodiversity. Its objective is to highlight the growing cost of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. TEEB presents an approach that can help decision-makers recognize, demonstrate and capture the values of ecosystems. www.teebweb.org
