Positive India: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with Champions of the Earth award. As per news published in the Economic Times, the United Nation Secretary General Antonio Guterres presented him its highest Environmental honour ‘Champions of The Earth Award’ at a special ceremony . PM Modi has got this award jointly with Emmanuel Macron, the president of France. The award was announced on September 26 on the sidelines of 73rd UN General Assembly in New York.
“Emmanuel Macron, President of France and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, are recognized in the Policy Leadership category for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting new areas of levels of cooperation on environmental action, including Macron’s work on the Global Pact for the Environment and Modi’s unprecedented pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in India by 2022,” stated a press release by the United Nations Environment Programme, an agency of the United Nations that coordinates its environmental activities.
As per Wikipedia United Nations established Champions of the Earth in 2005 as an annual awards programme to recognize outstanding environmental leaders from the public and private sectors, and from civil society. Typically, five to seven laureates are selected annually. Each laureate is invited to an award ceremony to receive a trophy, give an acceptance speech and take part in a press conference.