WWF’s Leaders for a Living Planet award aims to recognize the individuals who make a significant personal contribution to the conservation of the natural world and sustainable development. WWF publicly celebrates these individuals and their achievements to profile their environmental leadership and the inspiring example they show to others. Exceptionally, this award can be made to an organization, but then the award is made to the person representing the organization.

The award is symbolic. It enables WWF to congratulate individuals and their achievements, together with the government, company, community or organization they represent, and to encourage further such action.

The Leaders for a Living Planet award is represented by a certificate signed by the President or Director General of WWF International, or senior WWF officer if appropriate, and is presented by a senior WWF official at a public event to profile the achievement. The purpose of the event is to thank people making such important commitments. Such events are important opportunities for showing the larger conservation picture, for inspiring others and recognizing the many stakeholders and donors who play key roles in making such actions happen, of strengthening relationships with partners to build a team approach to conservation, and for mobilising powerful new conservation commitments.

Over 100 such awards have been made since 2000, recognizing a wide variety of initiatives. These range from local actions to protect wildlife to the leadership of government ministers and the wives of heads of state to achieve specific conservation goals such as sustainable fisheries and new protected areas. Recent high level recipients include Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary-General, the Minister of Fisheries of Norway the Vice-Premier of China and the Ministers of Water Affairs of France, Togo and Benin.

The actions of the people recognized as Leaders for a Living Planet are inspiring examples of environmental leadership and demonstrate personal responsibility to protect the environment. These actions represent an important contribution to the achievement of WWF’s global conservation priority goals. When added together, multiplied and magnified, these actions make a major contribution to secure the status of our living world ─ for current and future generations.