Message From Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation

The UNEP Sasakawa Prize was established in 1982 by my late father and former chairman of our foundation, Ryoichi Sasakawa. Thanks to the laureates, selection committee, secretariat and many supporters of the Prize, we have come a long way in the last twenty years in terms of enhancing awareness of environmental issues around the world.

However, it is clear that there remains a great need to provide further incentives and opportunities for innovation in the environmental field. To that end, the UNEP Sasakawa Prize has been redesigned with the aim of channeling the human gift for innovation and invention towards protecting the environment.

The Prize will be awarded to an individual or organization that presents a clear plan for implementing an innovative, groundbreaking and sustainable environmental project. I very much look forward to working with UNEP to ensure that the UNEP Sasakawa Prize continues to serve as a force for change in the environmental field.

About the Nippon Foundation

The Nippon Foundation is an independent, non-profit grant-making organization that supports both domestic and international philanthropic projects.