The Volvo Environment Prize is an annual international award originating in Sweden. The prize is awarded to individuals who "explore the way to a sustainable world." The prize is awarded by the independent foundation The Volvo Environment Prize Foundation instituted 1989. A recipient of the Volvo Environment Prize receives an original diploma by Swedish artist Göran Dahlbom, a glass sculpture and a cash award for SEK 1.5 million.
The responsibility for selecting the laureate or laureates of the annual Volvo Environment Prize for recommendation to the Board of the Foundation lies with an international Prize Jury. The Jury currently consists of Professor Will Steffen, chair (Australia National University), Professor Mary Scholes ( University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa), Professor Peijun Shi (Beijing Normal University, China), Professor Kazuhiko Takeuchi (University of Tokyo, Japan) and Dr. Sybille van den Hove (Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain).[citation needed]
The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg, Sweden has appointed a Scientific Committee. The Scientific Committee makes the initial screening and evaluation of candidates which are presented to the Prize Jury.
Since the first award in 1990, the prize has gone to 38 individuals.[1][needs update?][2] Among them are many well-known names and three Nobel Prize winners. The laureates represent all fields of environmental and sustainability studies and initiatives.