Mária Csutora, professor at Corvinus University of Budapest, was awarded the “Medal for our Environment” on the occasion of World Environment Day.  In his speech, Gyula Bándi highlighted the recent decision of the Constitutional Court, which formulated the prohibition of retrogression in environmental protection. This principle means that the state cannot reduce the stringency of environmental legislation already in force. Indeed, in a changing environment, even standing still can be interpreted as retrogression, according to the Court.  

The award was presented for her achievements in research on low environmental impact behaviour and for being a leading figure in Hungarian green economics research.  “I have always wondered why, despite all the good intentions and environmentally conscious actions, our ecological footprint is not shrinking? How can we effectively reduce our ecological impact while making well-being available to all?”