Cowichan Bay’s Beate Weber-Schuerholz is a recipient of the 2015 Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development She shares the award with British green-energy entrepreneur Jeremy Leggett, and German economist Peter Hennicke.
Weber-Schuerholz has received many international awards for her work and, although she is retired now, she is still called upon by clients worldwide as a consultant in the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency.
Previous Gothenburg winners include the likes of former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, former U.S. vice president Al Gore, previous EU commissioner Margot Wallström, and former Secretary-General of the UN Kofi Annan.
Award committee spokesperson John Holmberg said Weber-Schuerholz was chosen because "over the course of two election periods [as mayor of Heidelberg, Germany], she laid the foundation for the leading position within energy efficiency that Heidelberg holds today.
"Not only did she emphasize the economic and environmental benefit of energy efficiency, but also demonstrated a strong leadership and an ability to organize and inspire companies, local officials and citizens."
