On Day 2 of the COP28 summit, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, recognised the recipients of the Zayed Sustainability Prize in a ceremony held at Expo City Dubai. The event was attended by various heads of delegations at COP28, ministers, senior government officials, as well as the winners and finalists of the prize.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed extended his congratulations to the winners, commending their endeavours in advancing sustainability and urging them to persist in their significant contributions to this domain. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed emphasised that the UAE remains unwavering in enhancing its enduring legacy in sustainability, a groundwork initiated by the nation's Founding Father, the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The goal of the Zayed Sustainability Prize is to carry forward the legacy of the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It achieves this by recognising and aiding small and medium enterprises, non-profit organisations, and secondary schools that provide sustainable solutions to challenges in health, food, energy, water, and climate. In over 15 years, the prize has had a positive impact on the lives of 384 million people globally through the innovative solutions presented by its 106 winners.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize also places a strong emphasis on encouraging youth involvement in sustainability through its Global High Schools category. This category motivates young people to actively contribute to their communities and lead future sustainability initiatives. The 47 global high schools recognised as winners in this category have positively influenced the lives of more than 55,186 students and 453,887 individuals in their local communities.
The 11 winners of this year's edition were unanimously chosen in September by the jury after a thorough evaluation of all candidates. The assessment focused on their contributions and dedication to presenting innovative, impactful, and inspiring solutions in various prize categories, including Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools.
Winners List
- In the Climate Action category, notable winners include Kelp Blue Namibia, acknowledged for their ambitious initiatives in cultivating vast seaweed forests in deep waters. The company has played a crucial role in restoring ocean biodiversity and annually sequestering 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Additionally, their efforts have resulted in the creation of employment opportunities in coastal communities.
- In the Health category, DoctorSHARE, an Indonesian organisation, was recognised for its groundbreaking efforts in providing healthcare to remote and challenging-to-access areas via its floating hospitals. The organisation has had a significant and widespread positive influence, providing medical treatment to over 160,000 patients.
- In the Food category, the Gaza Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Platform from Palestine secured the win for its commendable support to Gaza's agricultural sector. This non-profit organisation facilitates access to locally produced food and has generated employment opportunities for approximately 200 women in agriculture, benefiting over 7,000 individuals.
- Moving to the Energy category, Ignite Power from Rwanda was acknowledged for its significant efforts in providing affordable electricity to remote communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The company has delivered solar power solutions to 2.5 million people through a pay-as-you-go model, preventing 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. They have also introduced innovative solar-powered irrigation solutions, creating 3,500 job opportunities in local communities.
- In the Water category, the French non-profit organisation Eau Et Vie was honoured for ensuring access to clean water in impoverished areas by installing water taps directly in homes in urban regions. The organisation has facilitated water access for 52,000 people across 27 neighbourhoods in 10 cities, increased health awareness for 66,000 individuals, and reduced water costs by 75%.
- The Global High Schools awardees are Colegio De Alto Rendimiento De La Libertad (Peru) for the Americas; Gwani Ibrahim Dan Hajja Academy (Nigeria) for sub-Saharan Africa; International School (Morocco) for the Middle East North Africa; Northfleet Technology College (United Kingdom) for Europe Central Asia; KORT Education Complex (Pakistan) for South Asia; and Beijing High School No. 35 (China) for East Asia Pacific.