Shortlist announced for Alcan Prize for Sustainability

Alcan and IBLF today announced the shortlist of candidates for the US$1 million Alcan Prize for Sustainability for 2007. Ten organizations were selected from a field of over 155 entries from 53 countries around the world. The Alcan Prize for Sustainability 2007 shortlist is: * Centro de Servicios Educativos en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CESESMA), Nicaragua - www.cesesma.org * FARM-Africa, UK - www.farmafrica.org.uk * Institute of Integrated Rural Development, Bangladesh - www.iird.interconnection.org * Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat, India * Los Ninos, USA - www.losninosintl.org * M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, India - www.mssrf.org * Ningxia Center for Environment and Poverty Alleviation, China - www.nxcepa.org * Rural Development Institute, USA - www.rdiland.org * The Natural Step Foundation, Sweden - www.thenaturalstep.org * Utthan Centre for Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation, India - www.sietalld.org/utthanindex.htm The shortlist includes the first Chinese (Ningxia Center for Environment and Poverty Alleviation) and the first Nicaraguan (CESESMA) organisations to be shortlisted on the Prize. As in previous years, India continues to be well represented, including one of the smallest organisations to be shortlisted, KKPKP - an informal association of Indian waste-pickers. The shortlist will now be evaluated by the international Adjudication Panel of distinguished sustainability experts. "It is inspiring to see the extent of innovation and quality of creativity that these NGOs bring to their operations, practicing and promoting sustainable development in urban as well as remote and impoverished areas of the world. The Alcan Prize commends them for their positive social, environmental and economic impacts," said Adrian Hodges, IBLF Managing Director. "On behalf of Alcan, I would like to congratulate each of the 2007 shortlisted organizations. This is one of the most geographically diverse shortlists since the creation of the Alcan Prize for Sustainability in 2004," said Dick Evans, President and CEO of Alcan Inc. "The diversity in this year's group of finalists also extends to the outstanding work these organizations are doing around the world. They are a fine representation of what the Alcan Prize for Sustainability is all about," he added. Visit the Alcan Prize website for more on the competition. Alcan created the Alcan Prize for Sustainability to recognize outstanding contributions to the goal of economic, environmental, and social sustainability by not-for-profit, non-governmental, and civil society organizations around the world. To ensure credibility and objectivity, Alcan engaged International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) to manage the Alcan Prize for Sustainability. In selecting the 2007 shortlist, IBLF coordinated Assessment Panels in India, Canada, Russia, United Kingdom and South Africa. This process engaged more than 100 sustainability experts to act as assessors representing business, academia, government, and the NGO community. The Adjudication Panel, Chaired by David Runnalls, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Institute for Sustainable Development, fully endorsed the 10 shortlisted organizations and the assessment process. Alcan does not have a voice in the assessment or selection of Alcan Prize for Sustainability candidates. "On behalf of the Alcan Prize for Sustainability Adjudication Panel, I extend my congratulations to the 2007 shortlisted organizations. This shortlist is symbolic of the critical role that NGOs play in promoting sustainable practices across the globe," said David Runnalls, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Chairman of the Adjudication Panel. Over the coming months, the Adjudication Panel will conduct an in-depth review of the shortlist and select the winner of the 2007 Alcan Prize for Sustainability. This is the first year where all shortlisted organizations will receive Alcan Training Grants. These US$15,000 Grants will provide the opportunity for a senior representative of each organization to select from a menu of training including the chance to earn a post-graduate certificate in Cross Sector Partnerships from the University of Cambridge. The 2007 Alcan Prize for Sustainability winner will be announced when the final adjudication process is complete.