Award
The Nordic Council Environment Prize (also known as the Nordic Council Nature and Environment Prize[2]) is awarded each year to a Nordic company, organization, or individual to recognize "exemplary efforts to integrate respect for the environment into their business or work or for some other form of extraordinary initiative on behalf of the environment".[1] The nominees and winner are chosen by a 13-person committee consisting of two representatives each from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, as well as one each from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland.[1] The first prize was awarded in 1995. Since 2005, the committee has chosen a theme each year for the nominations and award.
Year
|
Theme[3]
|
Winner[3]
|
Country/Region
|
1995
|
–
|
Torleif Ingelög
|
Sweden
|
1996
|
–
|
Inuit Circumpolar Conference
|
Greenland
|
1997
|
–
|
The Institute of Product Development at the Technical University of Denmark
|
Denmark
|
1998
|
–
|
The "Jarðvegsvernd" project, led by Ólafur Arnalds
|
Iceland
|
1999
|
–
|
Agenda 21 office, Åland Natur & Miljö[4]
|
Åland
|
2000
|
–
|
Bellona Foundation
|
Norway
|
2001
|
–
|
Mats Segnestam
|
Sweden
|
2002
|
–
|
Arne Næss
|
Norway
|
2003
|
–
|
Luonto-Liitto (Finnish Nature League)
|
Finland
|
2004
|
–
|
Coalition Clean Baltic
|
multiple countries
|
2005
|
Contributions to the Nordic cultural landscape
|
Ann-Cecilie Norderhaug
|
Norway
|
2006
|
Climate change and adaption
|
Bogi Hansen
|
Faroe Islands
|
2007
|
Environmentally sustainable cities
|
Albertslund Municipality
|
Denmark
|
2008
|
Energy efficiency
|
Marorka marine energy management company
|
Iceland
|
2009
|
Promoting nature and outdoor recreation
|
Swedish forest schools initiative "I Ur och Skur" (Rain or Shine)
|
Sweden
|
2010
|
Green investment management
|
The banks Merkur Andelskasse, Ekobanken, and Cultura Sparebank
|
Denmark, Sweden, and Norway
|
2011
|
Sustainable tourism
|
Scandic Hotels
|
Norway
|
2012
|
Biodiversity
|
Olli Manninen
|
Finland
|
2013
|
Resource efficiency
|
Selina Juul and the Stop Wasting Food movement
|
Denmark
|
2014
|
Environmental work by a Nordic town or community
|
City of Reykjavík[2]
|
Iceland
|
2015
|
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions[5]
|
SEV energy company[5]
|
Faroe Islands
|
2016
|
Digital promotion of sustainable living[6]
|
Too Good To Go, an app that combats food waste by enabling users to buy surplus food from restaurants at affordable prices[7]
|
Denmark
|
2017
|
Initiatives that bring people closer to the waste-free society.[8]
|
RePack, a packaging service which enables the return and reuse of delivery packaging for online retailers and their users.[9]
|
Finland
|
2018
|
Participatory monitoring protecting marine life and helping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.[10]
|
PISUNA-net Local Observations database developed to record, archive, and share indigenous and local knowledge and expertise on natural resources and resource use. This information is generously shared with the public by the observers and the communities within which the observers reside.[11]
|
Greenland
|
2019
|
Initiatives that promote sustainable consumption and production by doing more and better with less.[12]
|
Greta Thunberg for her mobilisation of millions of people around the world to demand climate action now. She declined the award, in protest at a lack of climate action.[13]
|
Sweden
|