UN Goodwill Ambassador Gisele Bündchen hosted ceremony awarding “Champions of the Earth,” (from UNEP – United Nations Environment Program), to Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon, the renowned singer Angélique Kidjo, adventurer Louis Palmer. They were among this year’s five winners of the UN recognition that honors contributions to the global effort to protect the environment. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the Champions of the Earth offered the leadership the world needs to build a sustainable future. “As the human population continues to grow, and as resources come under ever more pressure, we will increasingly depend on vision and commitment – from political leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs and ordinary men and women everywhere,” UNEP described this year’s award winners as “environmental champions whose daily work, leadership and advocacy represent green innovation in action.” Their work ranges from using green technology to reduce air pollution in China, to tackling the impact of toxic chemicals in Eastern Europe, and traversing the globe to promote the use of solar power. Mexico’s President Calderon Mr. Calderon was honoured for his commitment to leading international efforts to combat climate change, while Ms. Kidjo, a singer and songwriter from Benin, is a also voice for humanitarian and environmental change. Lois Palmer of Switzerland for Electric Vehicles Mr. Palmer, a Swiss national, successfully led a fleet of electric vehicles around the world in 80 days last year, highlighting need for more sustainable transport and cleaner energy supplies. (See “0 Emissions Wins Car Race” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/0-emission-wins-car-racetony-curtis-wins-girl/25081 Russia’s Olga Speranskaya for Reducing Harmful Effect of Toxic Waste Olga Speranskaya, a Russian scientist, was honoured for her work to reduce the harmful impact of toxic chemicals in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. China Broad Group – More Efficient AC Units BROAD Group of China and its chairman and founder Zhang Xue were recognized for the manufacture of central air-conditioning systems that use diesel or natural gas instead of electricity to cool office buildings, shopping malls and factories. New Signatories to UN Treaty for Environment Meanwhile, 10 more countries today signed the UN treaty on the equitable sharing of the planet’s wealth of genetic resources, bringing to 23 the number of States that have initialled the protocol since it opened for signature on 2 February. (From UN News Centre) Ahmed Djoghlaf, the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), told a news conference at UN Headquarters that said he was encouraged by the fast pace of the signing of the Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization. “The fact that it has been open for signature for less than three months after its adaptation in Nagoya in Japan [… and] we have, until now, 13 countries that have signed, and in less than half an hour 10 other countries [will sign], is of major political significance,” The protocol stipulates the basic rules on how nations will cooperate in obtaining genetic resources. It was adopted by the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya in October last year. Related Reports: More at Ecology-Diplomat - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/c/ecology-diplomat/most_recent/1 ---“Gisele Bundchen/Why the Environment?” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/gisele-bundchen-why-the-environment/26341 ---“Green Energy, Green Economy” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/0-emission-wins-car-racetony-curtis-wins-girl/25081 By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey Face Book at “Diplomatically Incorrect” Twitter – DiplomaticallyX