UN recognises IIED climate-change partner as Champion of the Earth

The UN Environment Programme today named a long-term partner of IIED among the winners of its 2008 Champions of the Earth awards, which recognise "extraordinary leadership" on environmental issues.

Dr Atiq Rahman, the executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), is a scientist, author, policy advisor, teacher and consultant to many governments, intergovernmental bodies and international organisations. He has also developed an innovative post-graduate course on sustainable development and North-South dialogue.

Under Rahman's leadership, BCAS has become one of the world's leading think tanks and research centres working on sustainable development. His fellow Champions of the Earth this year include a prince and a prime minister.

"Twenty years ago when we started BCAS, we wanted to show that it is possible to institutionalise highest quality research on sustainable development in one of the poorest countries of the world," says Rahman. "We have taken up the challenge of linking decision making at local, national, regional and global levels to promote and integrate solutions to sustainable development concerns."

Rahman has spent the past two decades promoting policies that protect the environment and raise the prospects for the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. His recent work, focusing on the challenge of climate change, has included being a lead author with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

"Climate change is one of the greatest threats to mankind and its impacts will affect the poor and vulnerable most," says Rahman. "Our thrust has been to advance science, policy and sustainable development by integrating climate change with development. Key concerns we have highlight include poverty reduction, equity and giving a voice to the voiceless."

IIED's director Camilla Toulmin says: "Atiq Rahman is a farsighted individual who has made a lifelong commitment to protecting the environment and the rights of poor people everywhere. He is a major pillar of the sustainable development community."

Saleemul Huq, the head of IIED's climate change group says. "I have known Atiq for over two decades and have had the privilege of working closely with him, first in Bangladesh and then globally over most of that time. He is one of the most dedicated environmentalists, and has a keen interested in poverty alleviation and linking environmental issues to sustainable development. His award is very well deserved."

The other 2008 Champions of the Earth are: Prince Albert II of Monaco, former US Senator Timothy E. Wirth and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark; Balgis Osman-Elasha, a senior researcher at Sudan’s Higher Council for Environment & Natural Resources; Liz Thompson, the former Energy and Environment Minister of Barbados; and Abdul-Qader Ba-Jammal, the Secretary General of the Yemen People’s General Congress.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director
Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies (BCAS)
House # 10, Road # 16A, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Tel: (880-2) 8851237, 8851986, 8852217 & 8858049 (Dir); Fax: (880-2) 8851417
E-mail: atiq.rahman@bcas.net; Web: http://www.bcas.net

Mike Shanahan
Press Officer
International Institute for Environment and Development
Email: mike.shanahan@iied.org
Tel: +44 (0)20 7872 7308
Fax: +44 (0)20 7388 2826
http://www.iied.org

NOTES TO EDITORS
Champions of the Earth is an international environment award established in 2004 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The annual prize rewards individuals from around the globe who have made a significant and recognised contribution globally, regionally and beyond, to the protection and sustainable management of the Earth’s environment and natural resources. Candidates are judged by a senior UNEP panel with input from UNEP’s regional offices.

Past Champions of the Earth winners include among others: Ms. Massoudeh Ebtekar, the former Vice President of Iran; H.E. Mikhail Gorbachev of the Russian Federation; H.R.H. Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan; Jacques Rogge and the International Olympic Committee; and Al Gore, the former Vice President of the United States.

The Champions of the Earth prize will be given out at a ceremony in Singapore on 22 April. It is a trophy specially designed by the Kenyan sculptor Kioko and made from made of recycled metal representing the fundamental elements for life on earth: sun, air, land and water. Background on the Champions of the Earth award and all the laureates can be found at www.unep.org/champions or from UNEP's communications division at championsoftheearth@unep.org.

Dr. Atiq Rahman is the executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and a lead author of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He played a leading role in the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, Intergovernmental Negotiations on Climate Change (INC) session and all the Conferences of Parties and Climate Summits in Kyoto, 1997 leading to Kyoto Protocol. He has designed, developed and taught a multi-disciplinary post-graduate course on 'Sustainable Development Challenges and North South Dialogue' at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Cambridge, USA. Dr Rahman is a Visiting Professor of International Diplomacy and Sustainable Development at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Boston, USA where he designed and teaches a multi-disciplinary post-graduate course on 'Southern Perspectives on Sustainable Development'.

He is the Chairman of Climate Action Network - South Asia (CANSA) and South Asian Coordinator of the Capacity Building Programme on Integrated Water Resource Management. He is also the Chairperson of Coalition of Environmental NGOs in Bangladesh. He was the Team Leader of National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) Synthesis Group, Government of Bangladesh.

Rahman was born in Bangladesh in 1950. He trained as a chemist with early education in B.Sc Hons. and M.Sc from Dhaka University. He was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship 1974 and completed his Ph.D on solid state chemistry and low energy processes from Brunel University, London, UK in 1977. For fourteen years (1974 - 1988) he taught and researched in the Universities of Oxford and Aberdeen in UK and Haute Alsace in France. During his scientific career in Europe he was awarded (a) the “Thermal Methods Group Award” in 1984 by the Royal Society of Chemistry and (b) “Sir Eric Rideal Award” in 1985 by the Society of Chemical Industries, London (c) Royal Society, London gave the award for lecturing on Advanced Ceramics in several Universities in Japan during 1986. Presently, he is engaged in exploring the global-local linkages and mega-processes such as global equity and poverty issue, climate change, biodiversity, institutions and capacity building, global scenarios, eco-specific people-centred participatory management practices across the world.

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is an independent, non-profit research institute. Set up in 1971 and based in London, IIED provides expertise and leadership in researching and achieving sustainable development (see: http://www.iied.org).