Prof. Mohan Munasinghe felicitated by Royalty in Japan

Professor Mohan Munasinghe, 2021 Blue Planet Prize Laureate and co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace, recently attended the ceremonies for the Blue Planet Prize, which is the top global award for environmental sustainability, and which is equivalent to a Nobel Prize for environment, his Colombo office said in a news release.

He was felicitated by Royalty and other dignitaries at the event hosted by the Asahi Glass Foundation in Tokyo, which had been postponed to October 2022 due to Covid restrictions in 2021.

Prof. Munasinghe and Mrs. Sria Munasinghe had a special audience with Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko of Japan. They also exchanged mutual felicitations with HRH Sonam Dechen Wangchuck, who was also present to accept the 2022 Blue Planet Prize on behalf of her father, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan.

The award recognizes Prof. Munasinghe’s deep research on environment and sustainability through his pioneering ideas like the Sustainomics framework, sustainable development triangle, millennium consumption goals (MCG) and balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG) path, which have been applied globally, the release said.

“His work has contributed to key international agreements like the 1992 Agenda 21 & UNFCCC, 1997 Kyoto Protocol, 2005 Copenhagen Accord, 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and UN 2030 Agenda & Sustainable Development Goals. Prof. Munasinghe, was Vice Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize,” it added.