Abu Dhabi : The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s pioneering award for recognising sustainable solutions and humanitarianism, held its Jury meeting to elect winners for its current 2022 cycle, who will be announced during the Prize’s Awards Ceremony at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), this January.
A total of 30 finalists were confirmed and are now vying for 10 awards, across the five categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water, and Global High Schools. This year, the Prize received a remarkable 4,000 applications, marking a significant 68.5% increase in entries compared to the previous cycle, while attracting submissions from a record 151 countries, representing over three quarters of the world’s nations.
The Prize Jury, comprising former heads of state, government ministers and international business figures, convened through a virtual meeting to review shortlisted submissions identified by the Prize’s Selection Committee in August.
In his remarks, H.E. Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, highlighted how the Prize continues to act as an enabler and accelerator for global impact, from life-saving health solutions to food security enhancements, and from vital renewable energy to clean water, adding: “The Zayed Sustainability Prize continues to further the legacy and values of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and in particular his vision for humanitarian and sustainable progress throughout the world”.
The Prize’s Director General went on to say: “As the UAE celebrates its Jubilee this year, the Prize aligns perfectly with the “Principles of the Fifty”, the blueprint for progress that our wise leadership announced earlier this month to expand the country’s positive economic impact globally. The Prize has already improved the lives of millions around the world and will continue to expand as a force for good that contributes to a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable world, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals”. He added that the extensive participation level from knowledge-based economies and emerging markets alike, reflects the current direction towards greater social inclusivity as the world gears up for COP26 and expediated climate action resiliency in the evolving context of post-pandemic recovery.
This year, finalists effectively addressed and proposed solutions for a spectrum of global challenges, often presenting solutions that are integrated and can benefit communities in more than one area, such as power and water synergies. Most entries focused on ecosystems’ resilience and affordability of solutions, underscoring a clear case for the economic benefits of sustainability innovation, while many of those solutions leverage next generation technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to drive impact.
The Chair of the Jury and former President of the Republic of Iceland, H.E. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, added: “The innovation and diversity demonstrated in this year’s applications, including inspiring projects envisioned by the youth, is a testament to the Prize’s ongoing ability to engage sustainability pioneers, worldwide, while offering a platform and steppingstone for transformation and added human impact”.
H.E. Grimsson noted that the cycle postponement last year was a necessary step to protect the Prize’s global participants with the advent of COVID-19, however, it enabled the Prize to attract and capture the inspiring concepts developed by forward-thinking organisations in response to one of the world’s most unprecedented crises.
Health finalists focused notably on reinforcing affordable access to healthcare for remote, vulnerable communities and easier and better ways of delivery care, particularly during the pandemic, such as telemedicine. Health entries also focused on the development of technological platforms through automation and data and reporting enhancement and accuracy to safeguard communities from preventable diseases.
