International Environmental Prize of Marjan Minesma from Urgenda

At the end of May, Urgenda Director Marjan Minesma was the first Dutchman to receive the prestigious International Goldman Environmental Prize for winning the Climate Leading Status. The Nobel Prize for Conservation and Climate honors the achievements and leadership of “folk champions of the environment” from around the world. According to the jury, Menesma inspires people around the world to take action to protect our planet.

The Goldman Environmental Prize is an initiative of philanthropists Rhoda and Richard Goldman and has been awarded since 1989 to winners on six different continents. Marjan Minisma is this year’s European winner and the first Dutchman to receive the award. In 33 years, the award has had a huge impact on the planet.

Marjan Minnesma on Urgenda’s website: “I am grateful for this award and consider it an award for the entire team. It is a great honor that all of Urgenda’s work, as an innovative organization, is recognized by the Goldman Foundation. The climate issue has given hope to many and led to the initiation of dozens of similar climate cases around the world. World The Netherlands will have achieved a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, and now has to accelerate to achieve its goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2030. The Cabinet is not yet on the right track for that, so we will continue to emphasize on it and suggest solutions to make it happen.”

“While the many challenges ahead can seem daunting and discredit at times, the seven winning international leaders give us cause for hope and remind us of what can be achieved in the face of adversity,” said Jennifer Goldman Wallis, Vice President of Goldman Sachs. Environmental Foundation.

“In the groundbreaking victory, Urgenda Administrator Marjan Minnesma used a unique legal strategy and public input to secure a successful ruling against the Dutch government. This was forced to take specific precautionary measures against climate change. In December 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that the government had an obligation to protect its citizens from climate change and ordered the government by the end of 2020 cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 1990 levels. The Supreme Court’s governing council was the first where citizens were able to hold their government accountable for its failure to protect them from climate change,” the jury said.

The other winners in 2022 are:

Africa – Chima Williams, Nigeria
In the wake of the catastrophic oil spills in Nigeria, environmental lawyer Chema Williams has teamed up with a group to hold Royal Dutch Shell responsible for the resulting widespread environmental damage.

Asia – Niwat Roikaw, Thailand
In February 2020, Niwat Roykaew and advocacy for the Mekong community resulted in the termination of the Chinese-led Upper Mekong River Rapids Project, which would destroy 248 miles of the Mekong River to deepen navigation channels for Chinese freight trucks traveling down the river.

Islands and Island Countries – Julian Vincent, Australia
Julian Vincent led a successful grassroots campaign to end financing for coal in Australia, a major coal exporter, which led to pledges from the country’s four largest banks to end financing for coal projects by 2030.

North America – Nellie Kobo, United States
Naleli Kubo led a community coalition to permanently shut down her community’s toxic oil drilling site in Los Angeles — an oil site that has caused her and others serious health problems — in March 2020, at the age of 19.

South and Central America – Alex Lusitant and Alexandra Narváez, Ecuador
Alex Lusitanti and Alexandra Narváez led the indigenous movement to protect their ancestral lands from gold mining. Their leadership led to a historic legal victory in October 2018, when Ecuadorean courts overturned 52 illegal gold mining concessions, which had been granted illegally without the consent of the Covan community.

Read the article on Urgenda and NOS news here