S Korea’s president wins a UAE award for going green
President awarded $500,000 for his green policies
South Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak won the Zayed Prize award for Global Leadership in Environment on Monday.
Myung-bak who was recognized for his commitment to his country’s “Green Growth” policy, had his $500,000 award presented by UAE’s vice president and Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, The National newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Myung-bak’s “Green Growth” policy which became part of his country’s law in 2010, allocates 2 percent of the South Korea’s annual GDP to developing environmentally-friendly business and projects.
"Climate change is undoubtedly the challenge of our times," The National quoted Lee saying. "We believe protecting the environment and attaining sustainable growth can go together and we believe it must."
Lee's other green policies include encouraging electric vehicles and developing smart grids, which are more flexible and can distribute electricity more efficiently.
South Korea which is mulling a scheme to trade greenhouse emissions, has also founded the Global Green Growth Institute, an organization which aims to introduce clean technologies to developing countries.
Agreement
On Monday, the UAE and South Korea also signed an agreement to establish a Middle East and North Africa regional office for the institute at Abu Dhabi's Masdar City.
Masdar city relies entirely on solar energy and other renewable energy sources with a sustainable, zero-carbon, zero-waste ecology.
Other winners include the Indian-born environmental economist, Partha Dasgupta, of Cambridge University. He was awarded $300,000 for his work to link sustainability and economics.
As for the $200,000 prize for environmental activism will be shared by two people, Dr Mathis Wackernagel, the Swiss-born is president of the Global Footprint Network, and Professor Najib Saab, the Lebanese publisher of the magazine Environment and Development.
The Zayed International Prize which is named after the late president of the UAE, gives a total of $1 million biannually, and is set to award political leaders, scientists and activists progressing the environment cause.