The Sustainability Award 2024
Awardees 2024
The awardees of the second edition of the Sustainability Award 2024 are Dr. Mathis Wackernagel for his contribution to the awareness of climate change and challenges, Prof. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl for his research work on quantifying greenhouse emissions and his studies on the biosphere-atmosphere exchange, and Prof. Jiuhui Qu for developing technologies to ensure safe drinking water in urban and rural areas. President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are the recipients of the Medal of Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability.
Dr. Mathis Wackernagel
Award Leadership in Implementation
Swiss and American sustainability advocate Dr. Mathis Wackernagel co-developed the concept of Ecological Footprint in the early 1990s with his doctorate supervisor, Professor William Rees, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. This widespread and popular concept helps compare human demand against planetary or regional ecosystem regeneration. Based on this idea, he co-founded in 2003 with Susan Burns the Global Footprint Network, an international nonprofit organization founded in 2003, advising politics and organizations in their decisions to strive for a more sustainable world and raising awareness about the limited natural resources of our planet. Its largest campaign initiated in 2006 is the annual Earth Overshoot Day which marks the date when humanity has used up all the natural resources that the Earth can provide in a year.
Wackernagel's work with governments, corporations, and organizations has influenced environmental policies and sustainability practices worldwide. Wackernagel has authored and contributed to more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, numerous articles, reports, and various books on sustainability that focus on embracing resource limits and developing metrics for sustainability.
© Nicholas Albrecht
Prof. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
Award Outstanding Research and Development in the field of Agriculture
Professor Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, is a German biogeochemist, head of the Danish Pioneer Center for Landscape Research in Sustainable Agricultural Futures (Land-CRAFT) at the Department of Agroecology of the Aarhus University, Denmark, and principal scientist at the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
Klaus Butterbach-Bahl is known for his research on nitrogen cycles and greenhouse gas emissions at regional and global levels, particularly in relation to their agricultural and ecological impact. He has been investigating the drivers of these emissions, modeling, and exploring practical mitigation options under climate change constraints. His research interests have taken him to study rice paddies in Southeast Asia and China, grasslands in Inner Mongolia and Tibet, livestock in East- and West Africa, and potatoes in Denmark.
Through numerous partnerships with researchers and organizations around the world, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl has been sharing knowledge and training early-career scientists to address issues related to climate change, ecosystem sustainability, and environmental protection. As an example, he successfully contributed to establishing the Mazingira Center, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya, the first state-of-the-art laboratory in sub-Saharan Africa to assess the environmental footprint of livestock systems through measurements.
Prof. Jiuhui Qu
Award Outstanding Research and Development in the field of Water
Prof. Juihui Qu, is former Director of the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Distinguished Professor at Tsinghua University, is an international leader in the field of water treatment technology.
He has developed a comprehensive “from source to tap” technical system that ensures safe drinking water across urban and rural areas, while also addressing water risk recognition and management. This comprises major breakthroughs in the development of low-cost technologies for the removal of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater. His innovative purification techniques could positively impact over 200 million individuals in China and globally.
He led China’s Water Science and Technology Innovation Plans for more than 20 years and significantly contributed to China's ecological and environmental restoration such as the Yangtze River basin or the wetland region Baiyangdian. He also accompanied large infrastructure projects with industry partners and led the development of China’s first wastewater resource factory in Yixing, Jiangsu Province.
As an Advisor to the UN Environment Program (UNEP), he has been instrumental in establishing a dynamic collaborative framework for sharing and adapting water treatment technologies between China and other developing nations such as Sri Lanka and Nepal.
© CMG - China Media Group
President Claudia Sheinbaum
Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Medal
As the former Mayor of Mexico City, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum implemented progressive policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable urban development. Her initiatives included expanding public transportation, enhancing green spaces, and encouraging cycling. She has been a strong advocate for climate action, emphasizing the crucial role of cities in addressing global environmental challenges.
Dr. Sheinbaum prioritized community involvement in sustainability efforts, fostering grassroots participation and ensuring that residents had a voice in environmental decision-making.
Under her leadership, Mexico City committed to ambitious climate goals aligned with international agreements. She championed the transition to renewable energy sources, advocating for solar power and other clean technologies to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Recognizing the vulnerabilities of urban areas to climate change, she also focused on building resilience through sustainable infrastructure and disaster preparedness programs.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Medal
As UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon played a pivotal role in advancing the global climate agenda, notably through the Paris Agreement, which set a framework for countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. He was instrumental in establishing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 SDGs aimed at addressing global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.
Ban Ki-moon has linked sustainability with human rights, advocating for equitable solutions that address the needs of vulnerable populations affected by environmental issues. He fostered international cooperation on sustainability issues, encouraging collaboration among governments, businesses, and civil society to achieve common goals.
Even after his tenure, he has remained an active advocate for climate action and sustainability through initiatives like the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens. His dedication to creating a sustainable future has had a lasting impact on global environmental policies and initiatives.
