Top Award Goes to Climate Solution Innovators
Renowned climate researcher Prof. Robert Jackson and solar energy pioneer Dr. Jeremy Leggett have recently emerged as the champions of a global award celebrating solutions to environmental challenges.
Prof. Robert Jackson from Stanford University, USA, has made significant contributions in underscoring the role of methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – in global warming. Speaking at the Blue Planet Prize ceremony in Tokyo, Japan, he stressed that curbing methane emissions could have a faster impact than reducing CO2 levels.
Sharing the grand prize is the UK’s Dr. Jeremy Leggett, who left a lucrative career in the oil industry to establish Solarcentury, an innovative solar energy company. He is also the initiator of Highland Rewilding, a project that offers a scalable approach to constructing affordable, low-carbon housing using timber from sustainable forests.
Upon accepting his award, Leggett emphasized the importance of the right communication in achieving environmental goals. “We cannot expect to connect with individuals grappling with extreme inequality using the language of environmental catastrophe,” he said.
He contended that the dialogue should focus on the benefits of a green economy: lower energy costs, affordable housing, and job growth. As economies become more nature-centered, the transition away from fossil fuels will naturally follow. “Fossil-fuel phase outs would then occur by default,” he added.
