A ceremony kicked off an event to award those who have made significant contributions to environmental protection in China, Wednesday.

The third "China Environment Prize (CEP)," the top honor in China's environmental field, will award individuals or groups who have done an excellent job protecting the environment 100,000 yuan(12,092 US dollars).

Candidates were nominated for the biennial prize, set up by the China Environmental Protection Foundation (CEPF), regardless of nationality, religion and race.

Different from the previous two selections, the 3rd CEP will choose candidates from experts, scholars and non-governmental activists as well as officials, said Wang Yuqing, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration. The 3rd CEP will only award five winners but cancel the nomination prize, he added.

China's governments at all levels and the general public have paid great attention to and actively participated in the event, said Qu Geping, chairman of the CEPF.

However, Qu said, China continues to face big challenges in preserving its environment, and hopes for more involvement from the general public.

Five organizations and individuals came out as the final winners in the first two prize events.

Source: Xinhua