2024 UNEP's Champions of the Earth Award Goes to Chinese Scientist
A Chinese scientist has been honored with the 2024 UNEP's Champions of the Earth Award.
TroibNews 
Lu Qi, a prominent Chinese scientist, has been recognized as one of the six recipients of the 2024 Champions of the Earth Award, which was announced on Tuesday by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
Selected for the Science and Innovation category, Lu has dedicated three decades to advancing science and policy aimed at reversing environmental degradation and mitigating desertification in China, as noted by the UNEP.
Lu has also been instrumental in executing the largest afforestation initiative globally and in forming expert research networks and collaborations, according to a UNEP statement issued in Nairobi.
In his role as chief scientist at the Chinese Academy of Forestry, Lu has advocated for multilateral efforts to address issues related to desertification, land degradation, and drought.
"This award is the highest recognition and greatest encouragement for China's forestry and grassland efforts, especially for the scientists and technologists dedicated to sand control," Lu remarked in a statement to Xinhua.
He highlighted that China's endeavors to combat desertification over the last seventy years have been grounded in scientific and technological innovations that support ecological advancement.
He believes that the Champions of the Earth Award will motivate additional scientists and environmental practitioners, especially younger generations, to engage actively in global environmental protection and to help achieve the UN's 2030 Goals.
Furthermore, he expressed a wish for more effective desertification control technologies to be shared on a global scale through initiatives like China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative.
"Together, we can contribute to building two 'Great Green Walls' for the planet and make China's contribution to a greener Earth," Lu stated.
Since its inception in 2005, the Champions of the Earth Award has served as UNEP's premier environmental accolade, honoring pioneers who are leading efforts to protect the planet and its inhabitants.
To date, the award has acknowledged 122 laureates for their remarkable stewardship of ecological resources, and the 2024 awardees have been celebrated for their exceptional leadership, significant actions, and sustainable solutions addressing land degradation, drought, and desertification.
The other winners of the 2024 UNEP Champions of the Earth Award include Sonia Guajajara, Brazil's minister of Indigenous peoples; Amy Bowers Cordalis, an Indigenous rights advocate in the United States; Gabriel Paun, a Romanian environmental defender; Madhav Gadgil, an Indian ecologist; and SEKEM, an initiative promoting sustainable agriculture in Egypt.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen emphasized that the achievements of the 2024 Champions of the Earth Award recipients serve as a reminder to humanity that it is possible to protect essential ecosystems such as land, rivers, and oceans.
"Almost 40 percent of the world's land is already degraded, desertification is on the rise, and devastating droughts are becoming more frequent. With the right policies, scientific breakthroughs, system reforms, activism, and the vital leadership and wisdom of Indigenous peoples, we can restore our ecosystems," Andersen remarked.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
Selected for the Science and Innovation category, Lu has dedicated three decades to advancing science and policy aimed at reversing environmental degradation and mitigating desertification in China, as noted by the UNEP.
Lu has also been instrumental in executing the largest afforestation initiative globally and in forming expert research networks and collaborations, according to a UNEP statement issued in Nairobi.
In his role as chief scientist at the Chinese Academy of Forestry, Lu has advocated for multilateral efforts to address issues related to desertification, land degradation, and drought.
"This award is the highest recognition and greatest encouragement for China's forestry and grassland efforts, especially for the scientists and technologists dedicated to sand control," Lu remarked in a statement to Xinhua.
He highlighted that China's endeavors to combat desertification over the last seventy years have been grounded in scientific and technological innovations that support ecological advancement.
He believes that the Champions of the Earth Award will motivate additional scientists and environmental practitioners, especially younger generations, to engage actively in global environmental protection and to help achieve the UN's 2030 Goals.
Furthermore, he expressed a wish for more effective desertification control technologies to be shared on a global scale through initiatives like China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative.
"Together, we can contribute to building two 'Great Green Walls' for the planet and make China's contribution to a greener Earth," Lu stated.
Since its inception in 2005, the Champions of the Earth Award has served as UNEP's premier environmental accolade, honoring pioneers who are leading efforts to protect the planet and its inhabitants.
To date, the award has acknowledged 122 laureates for their remarkable stewardship of ecological resources, and the 2024 awardees have been celebrated for their exceptional leadership, significant actions, and sustainable solutions addressing land degradation, drought, and desertification.
The other winners of the 2024 UNEP Champions of the Earth Award include Sonia Guajajara, Brazil's minister of Indigenous peoples; Amy Bowers Cordalis, an Indigenous rights advocate in the United States; Gabriel Paun, a Romanian environmental defender; Madhav Gadgil, an Indian ecologist; and SEKEM, an initiative promoting sustainable agriculture in Egypt.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen emphasized that the achievements of the 2024 Champions of the Earth Award recipients serve as a reminder to humanity that it is possible to protect essential ecosystems such as land, rivers, and oceans.
"Almost 40 percent of the world's land is already degraded, desertification is on the rise, and devastating droughts are becoming more frequent. With the right policies, scientific breakthroughs, system reforms, activism, and the vital leadership and wisdom of Indigenous peoples, we can restore our ecosystems," Andersen remarked.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
