Message from Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director

The UNEP Sasakawa Prize is a symbol of excellence and outstanding achievement in environmental inspiration and action. In a world where the environment is increasingly recognised as the foundation for all our future aspirations, and where degradation and natural resource depletion is a roadblock to sustainable development, we need more than ever to reward and encourage tomorrow’s innovators and leaders.

The UNEP Sasakawa Prize nurtures innovation, research, initiative and ideas by endowing its winners with prestige, publicity and the financial support to help support their work.  Each year, we choose a winner related to an annual environmental theme. Among the elements that guide our search for a winner are sustainability and replicability. Only by being able to plant the seeds of sustainable progress in all regions of our fragile planet, can we hope to bequeath a world fit for future generations. 

I look forward to working with our esteemed panel and jury as we review the candidates for this year's UNEP Sasakawa Prize, and I thank The Nippon Foundation for their steadfast and continued support.