Midori Prize for Biodiversity

About

The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity was established in 2010 at the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the AEON Environmental Foundation, which coincided with the celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity. The MIDORI Prize honours three individuals who have made outstanding contributions to conservation and sustainable use at local and global levels, and who have developmentally influenced various biodiversity-related efforts, as well as raising awareness about biodiversity. Each winner receives a certificate, a commemorative gift and a monetary prize of 100,000 US dollars. In 2012, the MIDORI Prize will be co-hosted by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and will be a key instrument at the service of the objectives of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020.

Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “The Secretariat is pleased to be a partner in the foundation and granting of the MIDORI Prize, an effective instrument that not only promotes public awareness, but also encourages activities in support of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. I would like to convey my respect and appreciation for the unique and generous contribution of AEON Environment Foundation that has made the Prize possible.”

Tayuka Okada, Chairman of the AEON Environmental Foundation and Honorary Chairman and Adviser of AEON Co., Ltd., said: “prevention of global warming and conservation of biodiversity are recognized as two challenging issues at the global level. In order to resolve such issues, we would like to contribute to promotion of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, approved at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, which started in 2011, through making diverse efforts.”

For more information, visit MIDORI official website.

MIDORI Prize for 2012

The application process for the 2012 MIDORI Prize is now closed. The 2012 prize will be awarded at an Award Ceremony to be held in Hyderabad, India, in October 2012, in conjunction with the high-level segment of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP11).

How to nominate

MIDORI winners are candidates who made outstanding contributions to the conservation of biodiversity from a global perspective and who are expected to further contribute to future activities related to biodiversity. Organizers also expect that MIDORI winners will disseminate and promote such activities at the global level. Applications will be judged based on the following criteria: 1) International contribution, 2) Contribution to conservation and sustainable use, 3) Social contribution, 4) Long-term viewpoints/Continuity, 5) Creativity/Originality, 6) Civic mindedness/Broad viewpoints, 7) Efficacy/Influence.

For more information on how to nominate a candidate, click here.

2012 News

• The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity at the service of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity

• Nominations open for the 2012 MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity (UNESCO news)

MIDORI Prize for 2010

The establishment in 2010 of “The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity” corresponded to the 20th anniversary of the AEON Environmental Foundation and commemorated the International Year on Biodiversity 2010 as well as the hosting by Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and Japan of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The 2010 Award Ceremony took place at the occasion of the the high-level segment of the tenth meeting of the CBD Conference of the Parties. More information on the 2010 edition is available here.

2010 Winners

In 2010, the first MIDORI Prizes were awarded to:

• Mr. Jean Lemire, biologist, explorer, filmmaker, Canada. Mr. Jean Lemire has been contributing to raising awareness and supporting child and youth education in recognizing the importance of biodiversity and becoming involved in action to preserve life on Earth by taking advantage of his unique background as both a biologist and filmmaker.

• Dr. Gretchen C. Daily, Professor, Stanford University, United States of America. Dr. Daily is a scholarly researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University. She has discovered the economic costs of environmental destructions, caused by human societies and their economic activities, and has contributed to the preservation of the ecosystem utilizing the concept of "ecosystem services."

• Dr. Emil Salim, Chairman of the Advisory Council to the President of Indonesia and former Minister of State for Population and the Environment, Indonesia. Dr. Salim has been taking a leadership role not only in Indonesian environmental policy formation and its implementation and the promotion of activities for environmental NGOs but also in international conferences on the simultaneous pursuit of environmental conservation and economic development.

• Mrs. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. Mrs. Angela Merkel has demonstrated strong leadership of global environmental issues including climate change and biodiversity conservation policy at national, EU and international levels as the Chancellor of Germany. Mrs. Merkel received the Special MIDORI Prize for the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

2010 Press releases

• Winners of the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity announced at the United Nations

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel awarded special biodiversity prize