BEIJING, June 30 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The 2010 Hillary Institute Laureate will be awarded today to JUCCCE Chairperson Peggy Liu, in Beijing. The Hillary Laureate award honors mid-career leaders who are serving as exceptional change agents tackling the world's most challenging problems. The Institute's current (2008-12) focus is on Climate Change Solutions. JUCCCE (Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy) is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the greening of China.

In the last 25 years, China's energy demand has tripled. JUCCCE believes that due to climate change timelines and China's development timelines, the next 5-8 years are a crucial window where we must achieve dramatic and systemic change in human behavior towards a more sustainable balance between society and nature.

The 2010 Hillary Laureate will be awarded at the 2010 JUCCCE China Energy Forum. Co-organized by JUCCCE and the National Academy for Mayors of China (NAMC), the Forum gathers 400 high-level attendees from around the world, and will feature stories from China's mayors and State Owned Enterprises. IPCC Chair, Nobel Laureate, and Hillary Institute International Board Governor Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, supported by the Institute's Executive Director Mark Prain*, will be presenting the 2010 Hillary Laureate award to JUCCCE Chairperson Peggy Liu.

"We are delighted to name JUCCCE Chairperson Peggy Liu as our 2010 Laureate," says Hillary Institute Executive Director Mark Prain. "China is a critical player in addressing today's global energy challenge. JUCCCE is doing exceptional work in this field, and its Chair's leadership is outstanding."

"I'm truly honored. This award represents the hard work of a large team of staff, volunteers, and partners that have joined JUCCCE to make a global impact," says Hillary Laureate Peggy Liu. "Every day, I feel lucky that the work of JUCCCE inspires people to make a difference."

The Hillary Institute previously awarded the 2009 Laureate to social entrepreneur Jeremy Leggett, founder and Executive Director of Solarcentury (UK). Every fourth year the Institute awards its (USD100,000) Hillary Step to one of its annual Laureates. Named after the final, almost vertical 40-foot cliff that Ed Hillary and Tenzing Norgay scaled in reaching the summit of Everest, The Hillary Step is a metaphor for the ultimate challenges innovative leaders face.

*(+ possibly a NZ Ambassador Worker)

About the Hillary Institute

The Hillary Institute, a New Zealand organization named after legendary mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, supports emerging world leaders with annual awards. The work of the Institute is focused globally, recognizing mid-career leaders through selecting one Laureate annually. In addition to its Awards Programme, the Institute holds annual Symposia both in New Zealand and internationally, developing ongoing partnerships to explore achievement and create integrated linkages between people and organizations, representing the latest thinking on a chosen focus area over a minimum period of four years.

About JUCCCE

JUCCCE is a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the way China creates and uses energy. Working with difference-makers from around the world and across many sectors, JUCCCE has a 10-year mandate to visibly accelerate the greening of China. JUCCCE's key programs include training mayors in China on energy smart cities, helping students become green advocates through energy efficient lightbulb giveaways and energy education, and a smart grid cooperative.

JUCCCE views the challenge of changing the trajectory of energy use through a change in management lens, rather than just a technology or policy lens. How do we reach key energy decision makers through scalable channels? How can we facilitate dialogue for mutual understanding?

Note to editors: For detailed information about JUCCCE, see http://www.juccce.com/about_us/background_reading . For detailed information about the Hillary Institute, see http://www.hillaryinstitute.com . For additional information about the 2010 JUCCCE China Energy Forum, see http://forum.juccce.com .

SOURCE Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy (JUCCCE)

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