The Blue Planet Prize, awarded annually by Japan’s Asahi Glass Foundation, recognizes individuals and organizations for their significant contributions to scientific research and its application in solving global environmental challenges.
IPBES: Role and Recognition
IPBES, established as an intergovernmental organization, serves to enhance the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services. It has been honored as one of the recipients of the 2024 Blue Planet Prize.
- Purpose: Strengthening the science-policy interface for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem services.
- Impact: Leading global authority on biodiversity knowledge and its contributions to people.
- Recognition: Awarded for facilitating informed policy-making under international frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Statement from Asahi Glass Foundation
The Asahi Glass Foundation highlighted IPBES’s pivotal role in advancing global environmental efforts and its influence on corporate sustainability strategies.
- Quotation: “IPBES assessment reports facilitate better science-informed policy and action across scales, sectors, and knowledge systems.”
- Business Impact: Reports used by companies to shape corporate sustainability strategies and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) activities.
Co-Laureate: Robert Costanza
Robert Costanza, recognized alongside IPBES, is honored for his foundational work in ecological economics.
- Affiliation: Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London.
- Contribution: Foundational contributions to the field of ecological economics.
Award Details and Ceremony
- Award Amount: $500,000.
- Ceremony: Scheduled for October 23 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Events: Series of events and lectures planned in Tokyo and Kyoto to commemorate the occasion.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with Answers:
- Who awards the Blue Planet Prize?
- A) United Nations
- B) Asahi Glass Foundation
- C) UNESCO
- D) World Wildlife Fund
- Answer: B) Asahi Glass Foundation
- What is the primary focus of IPBES?
- A) Climate change mitigation
- B) Marine conservation
- C) Biodiversity and ecosystem services
- D) Renewable energy sources
- Answer: C) Biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Who is recognized alongside IPBES for the 2024 Blue Planet Prize?
- A) Sir Robert Watson
- B) Greta Thunberg
- C) Robert Costanza
- D) David Attenborough
- Answer: C) Robert Costanza
- Where will the 2024 Blue Planet Prize ceremony take place?
- A) London, UK
- B) New York, USA
- C) Tokyo, Japan
- D) Paris, France
- Answer: C) Tokyo, Japan
- What is the prize amount awarded for the Blue Planet Prize?
- A) $100,000
- B) $250,000
- C) $500,000
- D) $1,000,000
- Answer: C) $500,000