Felicitation for pioneers of clean environment
Director of the Centre for Science and Environment Anil Agarwal and Denis Hayes, who initiated Earth Day in 1970, have jointly won the Year 2000 Global Environment Leadership Award instituted by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The annual award recognises anindividual group, or organisation in government, the private sector, or the non-government arena, for leadership of significant national and/or international actions over a sustained period to protect the global environment. It was first presented by the GEF in 1998 to President Jose Maria Figueres of Costa Rica, and jointly in 1999 to Professor Bolin and Ambassador Bo Kjellen of Sweden.
Paying tribute to the two awardees, GEF chief executive officer Mohamed T El-Ashry said: "For the last three decades the contributions made by both Anil Agarwal and Denis Hayes to environmental education and awareness at the international, national and local levels have been truly outstanding.'
El-Ashry also pointed out: "Anil Agarwal's career as an environmental journalist, environment advocate and analyst, prolific author of the environment, chair of the world's largest network of environmental organisations, and director of the Centre for Science and Environment has made him a major influence in environmental policy-making both in India and internationally.'
The selection of Anil Agarwal and Denis Hayes for the Year 2000 award was made by El-Ashry on the advice of a panel of seven prominent international environmentalists after an open nomination process.