The Anniversary Honorary Award of the National German Sustainability Awards was presented to Annie Lennox during a ceremony in Düsseldorf on December 8th.
“Our honorary awardees are icons of social and environmental commitment,” says Stefan Schulze-Hausmann, founder of the award. “They promote the idea of sustainability by reaching out to people’s hearts. Among them, Annie Lennox plays an extraordinary role; her commitment and passion are simply unique.”
“I have something to say about the word ‘sustainability,’ which lies at the crux of every single aspect of life around the planet,” said Annie during her speech. "The very existence of our human species is totally dependent on the healthy sustainability of all the other forms of life.
“Everything is connected, so when one animal, plant or insect species is affected by human predation, exploitation or pollution, there is a knock on effect and everything else is impacted.
“Every second of our lives each one of us is totally dependent on the air we breathe. We cannot survive if it becomes polluted… connect this to the rainforests and jungles.. the veritable lungs of the world… if, or when they are erased, the impact of deforestation will be permanent and incalculable.
“We depend on the earth, the air, the sunshine and rain to help the crops grow, so that we can eat an abundance of healthy food, which we consume in vast quantities from supermarkets, supplying us with everything we can possibly imagine, flown in from overseas… whilst in parts of impoverished developing countries – people are dying from malnutrition.
“We exist in a world of extreme contrasts between abundance and abject poverty…
“It’s very heartening to be in a room with people who share the same concerns and who take action to reverse the negative impact of human destruction.
“That is why the German sustainability platform is of such vital importance.
let’s keep our commitment going and put hope over despair every day.”
