ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--()--The Zayed Future Energy Prize, the world’s preeminent prize for demonstrated renewable energy and sustainability solutions, closed for submissions on July 16, 2012 with a record 579 submissions — an increase of 36 percent over last year and 386 percent over 2009, the first year the Prize was awarded.
Submissions and nominations for the 2013 prize came from all over the world, including Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Sub-Saharan Africa as well as Australia and Oceania.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar and Director General of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, explained: “We are especially pleased about the quality of submissions for the prize in 2012 which have continued to evolve with every passing year due to the unwavering efforts of our Alumni, committee members and our various stakeholders.”
Moreover, as part of its ongoing outreach and communications strategy, the Zayed Future Energy Prize has been participating in a variety of engagement forums around the world since opening for submissions on March 5, 2012, including the UK, US, Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
The Zayed Future Energy Prize honors and continues the environmental and sustainability legacy of the late Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, by rewarding demonstrated solutions that address the global challenges of climate change, energy security, energy access, and economic development.
The Prize also aims to foster a community that encourages sustainable energy innovation among current and future generations primarily through the Global High Schools Prize, which was launched in 2011.
“With the initiation of the Global High Schools Prize and the substantial positive feedback we have received on the new category, the Prize is well underway towards recognizing achievements in sustainable energy and becoming a catalyst for innovation in sustainability,” added Al Jaber.
Celebrating its 5th year on January 15, 2013, the Prize award ceremony, taking place during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (January 13-17 2013), is scheduled to award 5 categories: Large Corporation, Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME), Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), an individual for the Lifetime Achievement Award and up to 5 different high schools from 5 regions across the globe for the Global High Schools Prize.
“We are currently working with our research and analyses partners to identify the candidates that will be passed on to the Review Committee, who is scheduled to deliberate on 9th-10th September 2012,” he explained.
“We look forward to sharing the first list of shortlisted candidates with the world,” he added.
The evaluation of candidates will consist of a four-stage process that begins with the Prize Research and Analysis Partner; Bloomberg New Energy Finance conducting due diligence on all submissions to ensure that they meet the basic criteria of the prize — to advance renewable energy and sustainability through innovation, impact, leadership, and long-term vision.
The second stage of the process takes place with the meeting of the Review Committee, comprised of national and international energy and industry experts and faculty members from several educational institutes in the UAE, including Masdar Institute of Science & Technology and UAE University. The committee will assess the candidate submissions in greater detail and select the leading candidates for further evaluation.
The third stage of the evaluation process takes place during the Selection Committee meeting, comprised of high-level energy and industry experts, who will select the top finalists.
Finally, the winners of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, across all categories, will be selected at the fourth stage of the process by its esteemed Jury members, comprised of distinguished world leaders and thought leaders from around the world.
All phases are governed by an intricately designed scoring matrix that takes into consideration both the criteria of the Prize and the category it awards.
About the Zayed Future Energy Prize
The Zayed Future Energy Prize honours the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, who championed environmental stewardship as an integral part of UAE history and heritage. Managed by Masdar, on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government, this annual award celebrates achievements and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability and aspires to educate and inspire future generations.
For more information on the prize, submission guidelines, and profiles of past winners, visit: www.ZayedFutureEnergyPrize.com
*Source: ME NewsWire
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