Press Release, 25.10.2016

Alexei Yablokov, Chair of the party’s Green Russia Faction, was awarded a prestigious German prize for environmental protection and fight against the risks connected with the development of the nuclear energy sector – the Bruno Schubert Prize.

The Schubert Prize amounts to 30,000 Euro and is the largest non-governmental German prize. It is awarded biannually in several categories. The laureates of the prize in the previsous years were Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, famous American zoologists George Schaller and Edward Wilson, and others.

Alexei Yablokov received the award in category No 1 “The Lifework”.

Alexei Yablokov was unable to personally attend the ceremony in Frankfurt, but recorded a video message and sent a letter to the organising committee.

He thanked his German colleagues for the award noting that the Bruno Schubert Prize drew public attention in Germany and other countries to the protection of wildlife, environment and biodiversity – the issues becoming increasingly important.

“I believe that biodiversity is a precondition of human existence and well being. After all, only the effective ecosystems are able to ensure life-supporting qualities of the biosphere,” he wrote.

Yabloko urged to stop the pollution of the biosphere bio and maintain biodiversity: “there are many ways for this: preservation of the existing ecosystems and their restoration, creation of genetic banks, centres for reproduction of rare species, such as in the Frankfurt Zoo, more efficient regulations in different areas.”

In addition he also noted that people “usually pay attention to the growth of radioactivity only after a disaster, like Chernobyl or Fukusima, in fact, this it is also a result of a day-to-day work of the nuclear industry”.

Yablokov expressed his hope that the Schubert Prize would provide him an opportunity to complete the review of the Chernobyl impact on wildlife in Europe. According to the environmentalist, there are a lot of such data after the 30th Chernobyl’s anniversary.

“For many people in my country it looks meaningless to focus on biodiversity protection now, while the Kremlin escalates the military violence over the world alluding to the nuclear weapons. I am sure that awarding me with the Bruno Schubert Prize will draw attention in Russia to the enduring importance of the protection of wildlife,” he concluded.