U.N. lauds Gore, environment leaders at green awards

The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge gestures during a news conference at the Men's Field Hockey World Cup in Moenchengladbach, September 16, 2006. The United Nations named Rogge and former Vice President Al Gore as recipients of environmental awards on Thursday, and urged more action to stop global warming.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The United Nations named former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Olympics chief Jacques Rogge as recipients of environmental awards on Thursday, and urged more action to stop global warming.

Only two of the seven winners were present at the ceremony in Singapore to receive trophies made from recycled metal.

Gore, a dedicated climate crusader who starred in his 2006 global warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth", was represented by actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah.

"It has taken too long for global leaders, especially in the United States, to wake up to this fact and respond, but I have hope," Gore said in a speech read by Hannah at the ceremony.

Rogge, who was lauded for helping to enforce environmental standards at the Olympic Games, was also not present but told the audience through a video-recording that Beijing, host of the 2008 Olympics, has been asked to "place the bar very high" for environmental standards.

"Much more must be done -- we owe this to sport and future generations," he said.

Achim Steiner, the U.N. Environment Programme chief, criticised some governments for appearing ignorant about the effects of global warming.

"I am sometimes intrigued by the level of lack of understanding, and some would almost call it ignorance of public policymakers of what we know today," Steiner told reporters before the ceremony, without naming specific governments.

The other winners were the Brazilian and Algerian environment ministers, a Jordanian prince, Sweden's Viveka Bohn for leading negotiations on global chemical safety standards, and Elisea Gillera Gozun of Philippines for helping to implement pollution charges in the country.

(Additional reporting by Neil Chatterjee)