Ambassador Marja Lehto (Finland)
In recognition of her contributions to the protection of the environment in times of armed conflict.
Previous Laureates
2023 Laureates
Marie Jacobsson (Sweden)
In recognition of their contributions to the protection of the environment in times of armed conflict.
2022 Laureate
Professor Paulo de Bessa Antunes (Brazil)
In recognition of his tireless advocacy to support the development and implementation of laws protecting the environment in Brazil.
2021 Laureates
Vanessa Nakate (Uganda)
In recognition of her work as a citizen diplomat inspiring climate activism in Uganda and beyond
Professor Wang Xi (China)
For his contributions to the formulation of environmental laws in China
2020 Laureates
In memoriam to Environmental Defenders (Globally)
In recognition of those who lost their lives defending their land and the environment from destructive industries
2018 Laureate
Stephen C. McCaffrey (USA)
As Special Rapporteur of the UN Convention on International Water Courses and Sustained Leadership Building International Environmental Law
2017 Laureate
Reinhard Josef Krapp (Germany)
For exceptional and sustained commitment to advancing multilateral policy to further sustainable development and environmental values globally
2016 Laureate
Christiana Figueres (Costa Rica)
In Recognition of her Remarkable Diplomatic Achievements as the Architect of the Paris Climate Accords
2015 Laureates
Antonio Herman Benjamin (Brazil)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
Luis Alberto Figueiredo (Brazil)
For his service to biodiversity when he served as Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
Macharia Kamau (Kenya)
For his contribution to the development of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in his capacity as the co-chair of the UN Opening Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals
Csaba Korosi (Hungary)
For his contribution to the development of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in his capacity as the co-chair of the UN Opening Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals
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2014
- Richard Macrory (United Kingdom)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2013
- Marc Pallemaerts (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2012
- Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi
For Sustained and Innovative Leadership Establishing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) - Koh Kheng Lian (Singapore)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2011
- Alan Boyle (Scotland)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2010
- Biliana Cicin-Sain
For her outstanding contributions to the international efforts to preserve the world’s oceans and several international agreements related to them
2009
- Julio Barboza
For his outstanding service to international environmental governance - Donald Kaniaru (Kenya)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2008
- Laurence Boisson de Chazournes (Switzerland)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Hilario G. Davide, Jr. (Philippines)
For his exceptional leadership in building consensus for the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations General Assembly
2007
- Françoise Burhenne-Guilmin (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - David Freestone (United Kingdom)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Mohamed A. Sahnoun (Algeria)
For His Role in the Negotiation of Agreements Crucial to Sustainable Development
2006
- Dinah Shelton (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Thomas A. Mensah (Ghana)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Klaus Töpfer (Germany)
For excellence in leading UNEP and advancing global environmental stewardship
2005
- James MacNeill (Canada)
For facilitating “Our Common Future” leading the United Nations to convene the 1992 Earth Summit - Phillippe Sands (United Kingdom)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2004
- Mohamed El-Ashry (Egypt)
In recognition of his extraordinary service to the Global Environment Fund - Ramón Ojeda Mestre (Mexico)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2003
- Peter H. Sand (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2002
- Askar Akaev (Kyrgyzstan)
For initiating and inspiring the United Nations Year of the Mountains - Mohamed Ali Mekouar (Morocco)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2001
- Bagher Asadi (Iran)
For distinguished accomplishments in securing developing Nations’ support for UNEP, the Kyoto Protocol and establishment of the United Nations Forest Forum - Ludwig Krämer (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2000
- Veit Koester (Denmark)
For extraordinary contributions to negotiation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other multilateral environmental agreements - Akio Morishima (Japan)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Tuiloma Neroni Slade (Samoa)
For inspired leadership of the United Nations Initiative for Small Island Developing States
1999
- Johan Gerrit Lammers (Netherlands)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Bo John Kjellen (Sweden)
For distinguished service leading negotiations of the Convention on Desertification< - Tan Sri Razali Ismail (Malaysia)
For his initiatives in the Special Sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development with positive participation by Civil Society
1998
- Parvez Hassan (Pakistan)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1997
- Günther Handl (Austria)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1996
- Tommy Thong-Bee Koh (Singapore)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1995
- Patrick Széll (United Kingdom)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1994
- Edith Brown-Weiss (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1993
- Winfried Lang (Austria)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1992
- Nicholas A. Robinson (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1991
- Hubert Bocken (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1990
- Andronico Oduogo Adede (Kenya)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1989
- Zdenek Madar (Czechoslovakia)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1988
- Cyrille de Klemm (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1987
- Reinhard Ganten (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1986
- Michael Bothe (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1985
- Paulo Affonso Leme Machado (Brazil)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1984
- Charles Okidi (Kenya)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1983
- Heribert Rausch (Switzerland)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1982
- Louis-Paul Suetens (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1981
- Mateo J. Magarinos de Mello (Uruguay)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1980
- Russell Train (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1979
- Alexandre-Charles Kiss (Hungary)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Oleg Stepanovitch Kolbasov (USSR)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1978
- Guillermo Cano (Argentina)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Eckhard Rehbinder (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1977
- Joseph L. Sax (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Henri Smets (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1976
- Jacques Hoeffler (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Michel Prieur (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1975
- Wolfgang Burhenne (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Waclaw Brzezinski (Poland)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Michel Despax (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1974
- Michel Carpentier (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Jean-Paul Harroy (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law - Jean Lamarque (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
- Richard Macrory (United Kingdom)