New York, Apr 25: Prince Albert II of Monaco and a top official of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, are among seven luminaries awarded this year's Champions of the Earth prize by the United Nations for their crusade against global warming.

Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Atiq Rahman received the honour for his contribution in addressing the crucial issue of climate change.

The Special Prize for year 2008 was awarded to New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, which, the world body said, has "blazed the trail" towards climate neutrality and hopes to meet the goal of 90 per cent renewable energy by 2025.

The awards given by the United Nations Environment Programme were instituted four years ago.

Among other recipients was Balgis Osman-Elasha, a Sudanese climate researcher who, UNEP said, has effectively piloted climate-proofing strategies in some of the most affected areas in the world.

"Our winners for 2008 light an alternative path for humanity by taking responsibility, demonstrating leadership and realizing change across a wide range of sustainability issues," including improved management of resources from waste and water, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said.

Each awardee is a "living proof that the greening of the global economy is underway and that a transition to a more resource efficient society not only makes environmental sense, but social and economic sense too," Steiner added.

Other awardees include United States Senator Timothy E. Wirth, Liz Thompson, the former Energy and Environment Minister of Barbados and Abdul-Qader Ba-Jammal, the Secretary-General of the Yemen People's General Congress.