NEW DELHI, February 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
During the third day of DSDS 2014, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) felicitated the winners of the second Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen Awards. The award comprises of two categories - Unconventional Thinking and Bioeconomic Practice. Prof. Inge Røpke has been named the winner of the Georgescu-Roegen Award for Unconventional Thinking, and Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel chaired by Prof. Madhav Gadgil for Bioeconomic Practice.
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The winners were decided by a nomination-selection process with a seven-member jury comprising of distinguished thinkers and innovators who share Georgescu-Roegen's vision. The award jury includes Prof. Herman Daly (Emeritus Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland), Dr. R K Pachauri (Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute), Joan Martinez-Alier (Professor, Autonomous University of Barcelona), Prof. John Gowdy (Professor, Department of Economics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Dr. Rajeswari Raina (Scientist, National Institute of Science Technology and Development Studies), Prof. Marina Fischer-Kowalski (Director, Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen Adria Universität), and Dr. Deepak Malghan (Assistant Professor, Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore).
The Unconventional Thinking category rewards contributions in academia, and publication of research and literature that reflects unconventional thinking. Prof. Inge Røpke has been named the winner of the Georgescu-Roegen Award for Unconventional Thinking.
Prof. Inge Røpke, winner of the award says, "Georgescu-Roegen was known for promoting ideas that could be very inconvenient and at odds with mainstream economics, such as the biophysical limits to growth. More than ever, there is a need to be 'inconvenient' and emphasise that these limits call for sharing. If the social and economic systems imply that the living standards of the poor can only be improved by increasing the living standards of the rich, then the systems must be changed."
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (chaired by Prof. Madhav Gadgil) has been conferred with the Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen Award - 2014 in the Bioeconomic Practice Category for having accomplished a scientific policy framework based on a detailed and nuanced understanding of the dynamic interactions between people and ecosystems. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, was constituted by the Ministry of Environment & Forests in February 2010 under the chairmanship of noted environmental expert Prof. Madhav Gadgil.
Prof. Madhav Gadgil in his recent article published in The Hindu flagged the pattern of "Development by Exclusion, accompanied by Conservation by Exclusion" that prevails all over India, despite the well-entrenched democracy and the many constitutional and legal provisions to protect the environment and engage people in decision-making processes. He highlights that a modern technology driven economy must to assume a mutualistic, and not predatory, role towards the natural resource-based, labour intensive sector of the Indian economy.
DELHI SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT (DSDS):
DSDS is a flagship event organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) every year since 2001 that seeks to facilitate enlightened debate and discussion on the discourse of global sustainable development. Over the past 13 years, it has emerged as one of the most leading forums on issues of global sustainability. Through DSDS, TERI aims to create enabling platforms for global leaders, heads of State and Central governments, scientists, academicians, policy makers, entrepreneurs, corporate entities and the youth to exchange new ideas to expand the dimensions and scope of the debate over global sustainability issues. In the past, the summit has witnessed the participation of 36 heads of states, ministerial representation from 50 countries, and has been inaugurated by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India since 2010.
ABOUT TERI:
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization deeply committed to every aspect of energy, environment, and sustainable development. From providing environment-friendly solutions to rural energy problems, to helping shape the development of the Indian oil and gas sector; from tackling global climate change issues across many continents to enhancing forest conservation efforts among local communities; from advancing solutions to growing urban transportation and air pollution problems to promoting energy efficiency in Indian industries, the emphasis has always been on finding innovative solutions to make the world a better place to live in. All activities at TERI move from formulating local and national-level strategies to suggesting global solutions tackling critical energy and environment related issues.
Headed by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, also the chairperson of the Nobel Peace Prize winning climate change body, IPCC, TERI has emerged as an institution of excellence for its path-breaking research, and is a global brand widely respected by political leaders, policy makers, corporate entities as well as the civil society at large.
Primary media contact: Zainab Naeem, [email protected], 91-11-8800286575
Secondary media contact: Rajul Dube, [email protected], 91-11-8447911797
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