Scandinavia seeks environmental prize-winner

The closing date for entries is drawing near, with applications having to be in by Wednesday 29 May. The theme of this year’s prize is the development and dissemination of ideas that reflect on the condition of modern man and his interrelationship between society and nature at the start of the 21st century.

The winning initiative must be on a professional level, says the Nordic Council, and should have had a significant impact on substantial numbers of people in one or more of the Nordic countries. The winner will be selected by a panel of judges from the five Nordic countries and their autonomous territories.

Last year, the theme of the award was ‘Nordic responsibility for the global environment’. The Prize was awarded to Swedish environmental campaigner Mats Segnestam for what the Council described as his visionary role in incorporating environmental concerns into programmes designed to promote sustainable development. Segnestam has been working on environmental issues since the 1960s, helping to build the Swedish Society for Nature Protection, was one of the co-founders of the European Environment Bureau, a programme manager at the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and Chair of the OECD Aid Committee. Since 1988, he has also been advisor to the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA).

Nominations for this year’s award will be accepted from the general public. Applications should include the reasons for the nomination, a description of the initiative and information about the people involved in the work.