Gold Man Environment Prize

The Goldman Environmental Prize is awarded every year in April to coincide with World Earth Day. The prize aims to honor the personalities who have contributed significantly in the protection of the Environment, contributed to protecting natural habitats, and raised a voice for political change.

Key Points

• Every year 6 Gold Man awards are given for activists, each from six continents -Africa, Europe, Islands & Island Nations, North America, Asia, and South & Central America.
• The award is given by the Goldman Environmental Foundation which is headquartered in California.
• The awardees are selected by a panel of the international jury from a set of nominations submitted by environmental organizations and individuals. The award carries a monetary prize and a bronze sculpture called the Ouroboros.
• It is also called as ‘Green Nobel’.
• The award was created in the year 1989.

Gold Man Environment Prize 2020

• Kristal Ambrose, Lucie Pinson, Leydy Pech, Nemonte Nenquimo, Chibeze Ezekiel, and Paul Sein Twa are the winners of this year’s Prize.
• Kristal Ambrose from The Bahamas has been awarded worked for youth activism and convinced the country’s government for banning single-use plastic bags, straws, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam containers.
• Chibeze Ezekiel from Ghana has been awarded for his work that led to the cancellation of the construction of a 700-megawatt coal power plant and shipping port.
• Leydy Pech from Mexico led an association that stopped the plantation of genetically modified soybeans in southern Mexico.
• Lucie Pinson from France has been awarded for her work that pressurized the largest 3 banks in France for eliminating financing for new coal projects.
• Nemonte Nenquim from Ecuador has been awarded for protecting Waorani territory from oil extraction and 500,000 acres of the Amazonian rainforest.
• Paul Sein Twa from Myanmar has been awarded for establishing a 1.35-million-acre peace park in the Salween River basin.

This year the award ceremony of April was postponed due to COVID-19 and that is why awards have been provided on November 30.