Professor Johan Rockström: Swede of the Year 2009

At a time when more than 100 world leaders and countless NGOs gather in Copenhagen to discuss the renewal of the Kyoto protocol on climate change, Sweden has taken the opportunity to praise one of its own most prominent advocates of sustainable development.

Engaging and inspiring
Executive Director Johan Rockström has been awarded the prestigious title Swedish person of the year by Swedish magazine FOKUS because of his engaging and inspiring work on conveying the risks of climate change and the importance of not being out of tune with the planet's boundaries.
 
"Rockström has managed in an easy, yet always scientifically based way, to convey our dependence of the planet's resources, the risk of transgressing planetary boundaries and what changes are needed in order to allow humanity to continue to develop," FOKUS said in a statement.

Humble and in praise of his colleagues 
In a reply, Rockström says he is deeply honored and happy for the boost given to his colleagues that work with ways to further sustainable development.
 
"I am immensely honored to receive this award, above all on behalf of my many colleagues whose work deserves this attention. Both SEI and Stockholm Resilience Centre conduct enormously important work to support sustainable development in both rich and poor countries. This also includes the importance of actively communicating their work to policymakers and society as a whole," Rockström says.
 
About the award 
The award is given by FOKUS each year to a Swedish citizen who has achieved something out of the ordinary, and in an extraordinary way has contributed to change Swedish society not only for  today, but also for tomorrow.

Read more about Rockström's award here (external link, in Swedish):
www.fokus.se/2009/12/arets-svensk-2/

Johan Rockström
Johan Rockström is Executive Director of Stockholm Resilience Centre, Professor in Natural Resources Management at Stockholm University and Executive Director of Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), with over twelve years experience of research and development work in developing countries, more than 40 scientific publications in water resource management, agricultural development, environmental management, systems research and resilience research.

More information:
www.stockholmresilience.org

Text: Sturle Hauge Simonsen/PP