Secretary-General's message to UNEP Champions of the Earth Award Ceremony

As we look forward to next year's United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio, the world stands at a crossroads.

The decisions we make this decade on how we plan our cities, generate energy, and manage our natural capital will reverberate down the generations.

As the human population continues to grow, and as resources come under ever more pressure, we will increasingly depend on vision and commitment –from political leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs and ordinary men and women everywhere.

UNEP's Champions of the Earth offer the leadership we need to build a sustainable future. I commend them for their efforts and thank UNEP for bringing the world's attention to their achievements.