The 2024 Sustainability Award
from the Nobel Sustainability Trust
On November 20, 2024, Mathis Wackernagel received the 2024 Sustainability Award for Leadership in Implementation by the Nobel Sustainability Trust for his contribution to the sustainability transformation. It has been a powerful recognition.
The Nobel Sustainability Trust and the selection committee led by the Institute for Advanced Study of Technical University Munich, Germany, chose Mathis because he co-developed the concept of the Ecological Footprint in the early 1990s with his doctorate supervisor, Professor William Rees, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. This widespread and popular concept helps compare human demand against planetary or regional ecosystem regeneration. Also, he co-founded in 2003 with Susan Burns Global Footprint Network, an international nonprofit organisation to advise companies, cities, and countries on the implications of global overshoot. The Trust further highlighted the annual Earth Overshoot Day campaign which marks the date when humanity has used up all the natural resources that the Earth can provide in a year.
One of the members of the selection committee, Prof. Volker Sieber, provided more details in his Laudatio. The media response as well as Global Footprint Network's celebration are documented here.
Peter Nobel, chair of the Nobel Sustainability Trust and Prof. Michael Molls, chair of the selection committee, congratulate Mathis Wackernagel to the Nobel Sustainability Award.
The Nobel Sustainability Trust handed out two more Awards: one his achievements in agricultural science to Prof. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl and the other one for his achievements in water management to Prof. Juhui Qu.
Conferring the Nobel Sustainability Award included the medallion for Leadership in Implementation. The medallion is depicted below.
Apart from the three Awards, the Nobel Sustainability Trust bestowed two Sustainability Medals, one to the Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for her previous work on sustainable cities, particularly when being mayor of Mexico City. The other medal was awarded to former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for his commitment to sustainable development, including chaperoning the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN's agenda to 2030, into existence.
Prof. Volker Sieber of the Technical University of Munich gives his Laudatio for Mathis Wackernagel
Mathis Wackernagel gives his acceptance speech
Mathis receives the Nobel Sustainability Award check from Peter Nobel.
Mathis with Kim Stanley Robinson, author of "The Ministry for the Future", the world's primer novel on the future of climate change.
Prof. Jiuhui Qu - NST Awardee –
Peter Nobel - Chair, NST –
Johan Nobel - NST –
Stephanie Nobel - NST –
Philippe Douste-Blazy - former French Foreign Minister –
Erik Nobel - Nobel Sustainability Trust (NST) –
Tracy Wang - ED of Nobel Sustainability Trust –
Prof. Slav Hermanowicz - UC Berkeley, selection committee –
Dr. Mathis Wackernagel - NST Awardee –
Prof. Volker Sieber, TUM, selection committee –
Prof. Michael Molls, TUM, Chair, selection committee –
Prof. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl - NST Awardee –
Yang Lan - event moderator –
Prof.Akissa Bahri - former Tunesian Ag. Minister, selection committee –
Allen Salmasi - internet pioneer –