Chinese scientist Lu Qi has been honored with the 2024 United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Champions of the Earth Award, announced on Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya. Recognized in the Science and Innovation category, Lu Qi’s three-decade-long commitment to reversing environmental degradation and combating desertification has made significant impacts in China and beyond.
As the chief scientist at the Chinese Academy of Forestry, Lu led efforts to implement the world’s largest afforestation project. His work has been pivotal in transforming barren landscapes into thriving ecosystems, reducing land degradation, and promoting sustainable practices. “This award is the highest recognition and greatest encouragement for China’s forestry and grassland efforts,” Lu said in a statement.
Lu has also championed international cooperation to address global environmental challenges. He expressed hope that more effective desertification control technologies could be shared worldwide 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,” he stated.
The UNEP’s Champions of the Earth Award, established in 2005, is the organization’s highest environmental honor, celebrating individuals and organizations making outstanding contributions to environmental protection. This year, Lu joins five other laureates, including Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sonia Guajajara, U.S. Indigenous rights advocate Amy Bowers Cordalis, Romanian environmental defender Gabriel Paun, Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil, and Egypt’s sustainable agriculture initiative SEKEM.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen praised the winners, stating, “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.”
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Chinese scientist wins 2024 UNEP's Champions of the Earth Award
cgtn.com
