Los Angeles, CA (Nov. 3, 2017) – Conservation International held its 30th Anniversary Dinner in Los Angeles on Thursday, November 2. Conservation International awarded actor and environmentalist Harrison Ford with its prestigious Founders’ Award. SC Johnson and Rock in Rio were each awarded Conservation International’s Global Conservation Hero Award.
The evening’s theme of No Forest, No Future highlighted the importance of protecting one of the planet’s most valuable ecosystems: tropical forests and particularly the Amazon. A longtime supporter of Conservation International, Harrison Ford has served on its board of directors for more than 25 years and has been instrumental in its work to protect forests and nature around the world.
“We face an unprecedented moment in this country. Today’s greatest threat is not climate change, not pollution, not famine, not flood, or fire. It’s that we’ve got people in charge of important things who don’t believe in science,” said Ford. “People who for their own political or economic self-interest denigrate or belittle sound scientific understanding of the causes and effects of human pressure on the environment. This is the crisis to which all others belong, and addressing it has got to be the core of our work.”
“Harrison Ford’s influence can be felt in everything CI says and in everything we do. He has touched every aspect of his work. In many ways, we can say that he is our work,” said Conservation International CEO Dr. M. Sanjayan.
SC Johnson and Rock in Rio each received Conservation International’s Global Conservation Hero award. Conservation International presents this award to remarkable individuals and organizations whose environmental commitment and actions have had a transformative impact for the good of the planet and its people. Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO of SC Johnson, and Luis Justo, CEO of Rock in Rio, accepted the awards on behalf of their organizations.
Former UN Climate Chief and Conservation International’s Distinguished Lui-Walton Fellow Christiana Figueres spoke about the importance of the evening’s theme, No Forest, No Future, in the global effort to address climate change.
About Conservation International
Conservation International uses science, policy and partnerships to protect the nature people rely on for food, fresh water and livelihoods. Founded in 1987, Conservation International works in more than 30 countries on six continents to ensure a healthy, prosperous planet that supports us all. Learn more about CI and its groundbreaking “Nature Is Speaking” campaign, and follow Conservation International’s work on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.