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Tessa Tennant Joint Winner of the City of Göteborg International Environment Prize 2004

The two economists Joan Bavaria, USA, and Tessa Tennant, UK, has been jointly awarded with the City of Göteborg International Environment Prize 2004.

The prize is awarded this year for the fifth time and the sum awarded is 1 million SEK.

The prize came about through a decision of the Göteborg City Council in June 1999. The decision was made “to stimulate continued positive development and draw attention to implemented and strategically interesting environmental projects”.

The prize is awarded in collaboration between the City of Göteborg, Carl Bennet AB, Elanders AB, Gotaverken Miljo, Handelsbanken, Nordea, PEAB, Scanrec AB, Schenker AB, the 2nd Swedish Pension Insurance Fund, SKF och Stena Metall AB.

The jury’s motivation in its entirety:

“The City of Göteborg International Environment Prize for 2004, SEK 1 million, has been jointly awarded to Joan Bavaria, USA, and Tessa Tennant, UK, for their pioneering efforts in the strategic future forum “sustainable investment,” the purpose of which is to promote socially, environmentally and economically responsible investing. Both dynamic women– by building public opinion and their own investment companies and funds with this focus – have contributed to an increasing number of businesses adopting more sustainable development. Therefore, they can also inspire us in Göteborg and West Sweden to steer development towards long-term, sustainable investments in the broadest sense of the word.

Joan Bavaria founded an investment company in 1982 focused on sustainable investments. Since this, through her work in her investment company and as the chairperson of CERES, she has advocated socially and environmentally responsible investing in the financial world and thereby has inspired, not the least, major American corporations to greater consideration of the environment.

Joan Bavaria is awarded the prize for being an early source of inspiration and a pioneer for sustainable business.

Tessa Tennant participated in 1988 in founding the UK’s first sustainable investment fund. Ten years later, she formed Asia’s first fund for sustainable investing. By building public opinion and presenting good examples, she has convincingly proven the significance of socially responsible investment funds, above all in the UK and Asia. Tessa Tennant is awarded the prize for her conviction that investments also should contribute to society’s social and environmental development.”

Jury members: The seven-man jury is led by Stefan Edman, biologist and author, and comprises also Russel Johnson, former Environmental Manager of IKEA, Lars Hallen, LIFE Academy, Lotta Gothe, Environmental Consultant, Johan Trouve, Environmental Manager of Schenker AG, Yvonne Wallin, Pejling Marketing AB samt Elin Eriksson, Chalmers Industriteknik.

Previous recipients: Dr Geoffrey Ballard, a Canadian and a visionary in the field of fuel cell development, was the first to be awarded the newly instituted prize in the year 2000. In the year 2001 the prize was shared by two organisations, FSC, Forest Stewardship Council and KRAV, the governing organisation for ecological cultivation, for their work on environmental certification and environmental marking in the fields of forestry and food respectively. The recipient 2003, Gro Harlem Brundtland, was awarded the prize for her work with the environment and sustainable development. In the year 2004 the prize was shared by the German Wolfgang Feist and the Swede Hans Eek for the technology of building homes without heating systems.
 

For more information please contact:
Stefan Edman, Jury Chairman, 0708-16 31 08
Per Forsberg, Project Director, 0707-61 25 69
Lennart Wassenius, Project Manager, 0707-62 80 16