Dr. Emil Salim, winner of the 2010 MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity

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.

Profile

After Dr. Salim earned a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkley, he started to teach at the University of Indonesia and became influential in developmental policy under President Soeharto. In 1970, Dr. Salim was appointed the Vice Chairperson of the National Development Planning Agency, which was a key institution for economic development in Indonesia, and afterwards he was appointed as the first Minister of the Environment in Indonesia. During his term as Environment Minister, Dr. Salim pursued the coexistence of the environment and development by introducing innovative environmental policies such as formulation of the National Law for Environmental Management and creation of the Environment Impact Management Agency.

Dr. Salim is highly regarded around the world and served in many important roles in the international arena due to his innovative thinking, in regard to the concept of sustainable development. Dr. Salim consistently led discussions at the conferences of ASEAN nations and at high-level officials meetings. Thanks to Dr. Salim's contributions, opinions of the Asian countries became important inputs for the international community. In 1994, Dr. Salim was appointed co-chair of the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development, modeled after the Brundtland Commission, and compiled "Our Forests Our Future." Also, he chaired the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.

After completing his term as the Environment Minister, Dr. Salim actively promoted the establishment of environmental institutions in many universities and supported many environmental NGOs. For example, Dr. Salim was a chairperson of the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (KEHATI) which was founded in 1994 to conserve biodiversity in Indonesia through promoting cooperation between the governments of Indonesia, Japan and the United States. Nowadays, the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation is highly influential in the field of biodiversity conservation policies.

In recent years, Dr. Salim has been engaged in the promotion of the SATOYAMA initiative and the United Nations – University Network on Climate and Ecosystems Change Adaptation Research (UN-CECAR) and is still delivering strong messages to the world.

In summary, Dr Salim has exerted leadership in policy formation at both national and international levels over a long period of time and still has great influence regarding the simultaneous pursuit of environmental conservation and economic development. His achievements are valued highly and are in line with the concept of the MIDORI Prize, that is, an individual who has made outstanding contributions and has had an impact on future activities for biodiversity conservation.

Biographical Summary

• 1970～1972 Vice Chairperson of the National Development Planning Agency, and concurrently State Minister for State Apparatus Reform
• 1978～1983 Minister of Development Monitoring and Environment
• 1983～1993 Minister of Population and Environment
• 1983～1987 Member of the World Commission on Environment and Development
• 1987 Chairperson of the Third ASEAN Environment Ministerial Conference Since
• 1992 Founder and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Sustainable Development Foundation
• 1993～2003 Founder and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Indonesian Ecolabelling Institute Since
• 1994 Founder and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation 1994～1999 Co-chair of the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development
• 1995～1999 Deputy Chairperson of UN High Level Advisory Council for Sustainable Development
• 2000～2002 Chairperson of the 10th Session of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development
• 2001～2002 Chairperson of the National Economic Council
• 2001～2002 Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit on Sustainable Development
• 2001～2002 Member of Advisory Group for the President of the Republic of Indonesia
• 2007～2009 Member of the Advisory Council to the President of Indonesia
• 2010.3～ Chairman of the Advisory Council to the President of Indonesia

Record of Honors and Awards

• 1973 Bintang Mahaputera Adiprandana from the Government of Indonesia
• 1982 Golden ARK (Commandeur) of the Netherlands
• 1990 Paul Getty Award, USA
• 2005 Zayed Prize Winner for Environmental Action Leading to Positive Change in Society
• 2006 Blue Planet Prize

Articles and Publications

• 1997 "Recollections of my career," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies 33(1):45-74
• 1999 "Our Forests, Our Future," Cambridge University Press
• 2007 "The Paradigm of Sustainable Development," OECD Sustainable Development Studies "Institutionalising Sustainable Development"