Five schools among Zayed prize winners
MORE THAN 202M PEOPLE HAVE BENEFITED FROM ZAYED FUTURE ENERGY PRIZE MONEY
Aformer prime minister, five schools, an Asian non-profit organisation, an offgrid energy provider and a new energy automobile manufacturer were among nine winners of the prestigious Zayed Future Energy Prize this year.
The awardees, selected from 29 finalists, were honoured during the opening ceremony of the World Future Energy Summit in the capital today.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, presented the nine winners with the Zayed Future Energy Prize. In attendance were His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, United Nations Secretary General Ban Kimoon and seven heads of state.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed underlined that the UAE will continue to be a leader in driving sustainable innovations across the globe: “At this critical time in the global dialogue around sustainability and clean energy, the UAE has shown farsighted leadership in ensuring innovation plays a central role in addressing the world’s common concerns. Because of this, Abu Dhabi is a focal point for action that carries us along the path of sustainable development. This is a journey that we began under the farsighted vision of our founding father, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whose legacy defines the UAE’s past and will continue to define its future.”
For the 2016 edition of the prize, a record 1,437 entries were received from 97 countries. The $4 million (Dh14.69 million) prize, that empowers and rewards innovators in the fields of renewable energy and sustainability, has now recognised 48 pioneers since its inception in 2008. In the eight years since, the prize has seen unprecedented growth and a total of 8,502 entries submitted.
Olafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of the Republic of Iceland and Chair of the Zayed Future Energy Prize jury, said: “This has been another outstanding year for the Zayed Future Energy Prize. The record number of submissions is a testament to the leadership shown by the UAE in this field.”
From ensuring access to modern energy in rural African villages to empowering Bangladeshi women with careers as solar technicians, more than 202 million people around the world have experienced the sustainable actions of the Zayed Future Energy Prize winners. Through progressive achievements recognised by the awards, water security is now a reality for millions of families across Bangladesh, India, Ghana and the Philippines, renewable energy sources supply electricity to a population the size of Italy and enough carbon emissions have been avoided to offset the price of global deforestation for a year.
Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, ex-prime minister of Norway and United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Change, credited with being the main catalyst for the current, global multilateral dialogue on climate change, said on receiving the Lifetime Achievement award: “I will be working on issues that are identical to the vision and legacy of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and will continue to put a lot of emphasis on renewable energies. Because you cannot have sustainable energy without sustainable development.”