The Zayed Sustainability Prize submissions for the 2020 edition are open. The UAE’s pioneering global award for rewarding innovation, impact and inspiration in sustainable development solutions has announced that, from 30th January to 30th May, it will be inviting organisations and schools to submit their entries in one of its five categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water and Global High Schools.
The Prize’s winners have delivered direct and indirect positive impact to more than 318 million people around the world. Formerly known as the Zayed Future Energy Prize, a strategic refocus, in April 2018, has seen the Prize broaden its scope from an initial focus on energy, to address global sustainability priorities.
The Prize’s five categories are designed to closely align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reward global organisations that empower and enhance disadvantaged communities, while also inspiring schools to nurture the next generation of sustainability leaders.
While the scope of each submission may vary, examples of winning solutions and school projects include: the facilitation of access to healthcare technologies in rural regions, improving food security and encouraging sustainable agriculture, delivering greater access to energy for off-grid communities, offering affordable clean drinking water and sanitation solutions, as well as enhancing education, training and advocacy.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize has a three-stage evaluation process, beginning with the due diligence conducted by a reputed international research and analysis consultancy. Following this, the shortlisted entries undergo evaluations by a Selection Committee to determine the finalists. From these finalists, a Jury selects the winners, in all five categories, including winning schools from six world regions. The regions are: The Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East & North Africa, Europe & Central Asia, South Asia, and East Asia & Pacific.
The evaluation criteria for the Health, Food, Energy and Water categories are:
Impact: Significant and tangible outcomes on the quality of people’s lives.
Innovation: Distinctive characteristics to change the “status quo” and potential to catalyse opportunities that will have a disruptive positive impact and transformative change.
Inspiration: The potential to scale up project outcomes, in the next decade, and the ability to inspire others.
For the Global High Schools category, their projects should be designed to deliver positive educational impact, including providing access to quality education and ensuring students are given key skills and enhanced abilities to achieve their goals. Similar to the other categories, each project should ideally demonstrate new and innovative approaches and be inspirational to others.
Winners of the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020 will be announced at the annual awards ceremony held during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, in January next year.
Deadline: May 30, 2019.
For more information, click here.