School from India Wins Volvo Adventure Environmental Award; U.S. Team Participates in Finals

GOTHENBURG, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 2004--A group of students from India won the first place prize of $10,000 in the Volvo Adventure Environmental Award, Volvo announced last week. The project - Turning Over a New Leaf - from Environment to Empowerment - focused on vermicomposting, a cost-effective process which converts dry leaves into organic manure using earthworms. The students reached out to women in the rural villages of India and taught them the process for converting the leaves as an alternative to burning the leaves, which pollutes the air. After the conversion process, the women can sell the nutrient-rich organic manure.

The second place prize of $6,000 was awarded to the group from Mauritius. Their project, Demonstration House, showed how simple technologies can be used to collect rainwater, recycle waste water, produce compost and grow vegetables organically. The $4,000 third place prize was awarded to the student from Croatia for his project Save the Species Next to Us - demonstrating that one person really can make a difference.

The U.S. team tied for fourth place with their project South Florida's Water Quality: A Life, Leisure, Legacy, about non-point source pollution in Lake Worth Lagoon.

All 92 students attending the Volvo Adventure finals in Sweden contributed to the Volvo Adventure Statement to World Leaders to be presented to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The students, representing 15 countries, outlined what environmental issues they feel are most important and what action they think needs to be taken.

The annual competition is currently seeking participants for the 2004/2005 contest. Volvo Adventure asks students to get involved in their local communities by identifying and researching an environmental issue, then creating and carrying out an action plan to improve the current situation. Young environmentalists have until Dec. 15, 2004 to submit entries on the Volvo Adventure Web site www.volvoadventure.org.

Volvo Adventure is an Internet-based global environmental competition for young people, aged 10 to 16. The purpose of Volvo Adventure is to increase environmental awareness amongst young people worldwide, as well as encourage young people to take on practical projects that will demonstrate they can make a difference to the environment in which they live.

Volvo Adventure is a joint project between AB Volvo and Volvo Cars. More information about Volvo Adventure is available at www.volvoadventure.org.