REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was awarded the Champion of the Earth honor on policy leadership by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) recently.

This was revealed in a press release from the Indonesian Embassy in Washington received on Saturday. The award was presented to him on November 19 in Washington DC at a ceremony that was attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

Yudhoyono did not attend the ceremony but was represented by his eldest son, Major Agus Yudhoyono.

In a video screened during the awarding ceremony, he apologized for his absence, stating that he was leading a meeting of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Seoul, South Korea, which was his duty as the president and council chair of the GGGI Assembly.

The UNEP believed that Yudhoyono, during his term as the Indonesian president from 2004 to 2009 and from 2009 to 2014, was successful in promoting sustainable economic developmental, emphasizing on the preservation of the environment. He was also the first leader from a developing country who voluntarily voiced his commitment to reduce gas emissions in Indonesia. A similar award was also presented to the President of Palau, Tommy Remengesau Jr.

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