Sophie Prize Winners
2008 Gretchen C. Daily
The 2008 Sophie Prize is awarded to Gretchen C. Daily for her involvement, knowledge and merits as one of the world’s forerunners in the debate on sustainable development and conservation of biological diversity
2007 Göran Persson
The 2007 Sophie Prize is awarded to Göran Persson for his political leadership in the field of climate policy. During Persson’s tenure, Sweden has become a leading nation on environmental policy.
2006 Romina Picolotti
The Sophie Prize for 2006 is awarded to the Argentinean lawyer and human rights activist Romina Picolotti. Ms Picolotti, born in Argentina, is a lawyer and specialises in international law.
2005 Sheila Watt-Cloutier
The Sophie Prize 2005 is thus awarded to Ms Watt-Cloutier for her tireless effort to draw the world´s attention to the devastating human effects of climate change and emissions of toxic chemicals.
2004 Wangari Maathai
Professor Wangari Maathai's one of the most outspoken and respected environmental activist in Africa, who for the last 30 years has fought fearlessly for the protection of the environment, human rights, social justice, human dignity and the promotion of democratic governance.
2003 John Pilger
John Pilger, one of the world’s most outstanding and courageous journalists has over the last 30 years contributed to uncovering the lies and propaganda of the powerful, especially as they relate to wars, conflict of interests and economic exploitation of people and natural resources.
2002 His All Holiness Bartholomew
Through his pioneering efforts, linking faith to the environment, His All Holiness has managed to raise the environmental awareness of 300 million faithful of the Orthodox Church worldwide and challenges other religious leaders to do the same.
2001 ATTAC France
Association for the Taxation of financial Transactions for the Aid of Citizen (France) a worldwide and pioneering movement that challenges the uncritical economic growth and the negative effects of neo-liberalism.
2000 Sheri Liao
Sheri Liao founded the NGO Global Village of Beijing (GVB) in March 1996 and has initiated a series of environmental projects carried out in the media and through public lectures, media events, workshops and other outreach activities.
1999 Herman Daly and Thomas Kocherry
Herman Daly (USA) and Thomas Kocherry (Kerala, India) for their efforts in setting focus on alternatives to the adverse effects of economic globalisation and its consequences for resource management.
1998 Environmental Rights Action
Environmental Rights Action, Nigeria, has played a major role in surveying damage inflicted on the environment by oil companies, operating in the Niger delta. ERA have demonstrated how human rights, the protection of the environment and democracy go hand in hand.