China's online voters are currently faced with a shortlist of 20 nominees to elect China's top 5 environmentalists, but by the end of the month five will have been selected as China's Green Figures of 2005.

The list of 20 candidates came out last week, based on 35,823 Internet votes, letters and phone calls to the organizing committee.

The five winners will be announced at the opening ceremony of China's Environmental Cultural Festival at the end of this month .

"The prize of China's Green Figures is a prize for common citizens, who make great contributions to environmental protection," said Pan Yue, vice-minister of the State Environmental Protection Administration.