Gozun along with a prince, a former US vice president, a minister, a senator, an ambassador, and an Olympic committee head was recognized as Champions of the Earth for 2007 during a gala award ceremony on April 19, coinciding with a business for environment summit in Singapore.
Gozun bagged the award for the Asia-Pacific. The trophies given away were made from recycled metal.
The environment big shots were honored by the UNEP for "bringing environmental issues to the forefront of political action." The Champions of the Earth 2007 Laureate is being presented for the third time.
The award, established in 2004, has also named former US Vice President Al Gore; Jordan Prince El Hassan Bin Talal; Minister of Land Management and Environment in Algeria Cherif Khalafi Rahmani; Swedish Ambassador for the Environment Viveka Bohn; Brazilian Senator Marina Silva; and International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge.
According to the UNEP, the awards recognize prominent and inspirational environmental leaders from each region of the world who have made an impact at the policy level through leadership, vision and creativity.
In naming Gozun, it acknowledged her commitment to public service and passion for the environment, which has "given her the energy to overcome obstacles, persuade disbelievers and shape alliances."
The UNEP said Gozun’s leadership in World Bank projects has resulted in "tangible results." These included the introduction of pollution charges for industrial effluents in the Philippines; the establishment of the organization ECOWATCH, an innovative public disclosure program on environmental performance of key industries; and "Brown Fund", the first tripartite funding source for local urban environmental initiatives, jointly managed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business and government.
The UNEP also commended Gozun’s recognition to the importance of all-stakeholders partnership in pushing and implementing national environmental policies.
"Ms. Gozun recognized that without the local communities and mayors on board, no national policy could succeed," it noted.
The UNEP further acknowledged Gozun’s efforts that led to the introduction of waste recovery, recycling and reuse in the Philippines, including her work on upgrading the quality and capacity of landfills.
The UNEP attributed the wide network of participating communities, with dramatically improved health situations in urban areas due to better solid waste management, in the country today to Gozun’s initiative to attract international funding in order to implement the pilot schemes in environmental management.
"Her personal integrity, combined with a keen pragmatic sense for what is politically feasible to constitute a viable solution, have won the trust of business leaders, NGOs and political decision-makers alike," the UNEP said.
Meanwhile, Gore won the award for consistently making the protection of the environment as "a pillar of his public service." The UNEP said Gore led congressional efforts to clean up toxic dumps leading to the formation of the "Superfund" and held the first hearing on global climate change.
Gore’s documentary-film titled An Inconvenient Truth, which depicted the dangers of global warming, has scored two Oscar nominations.
Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, president of Jordan’s Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), won the award for addressing environmental issues in a holistic manner. The UNEP cited his belief in transboundary collaboration to protect the environment.
Rahmani won the award for his "profound commitment to the protection of our planet," working determinedly to greatly advance environmental law in Algeria. He has established model financial and economic instruments aimed at promoting a tax system in Algeria based on international criteria that adhere to the polluter pays principle.
Bohn won the award for playing a prominent role in multilateral negotiations, including environmental treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
Silva, who is described as a tireless fighter for the protection of the Amazon rainforest, won the award for promoting conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity.
Rogge won the award for bringing changes to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which have reinforced the importance of the environment in the work of the Olympic Movement. – Katherine Adraneda