Zayed Future Energy Prizes Awarded at Abu Dhabi Conference

The Annual Zayed Future Energy Prize celebrates achievements that reflect impact innovation, long-term vision and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability.  The $4 million prize, managed by Masdar in Abu Dhabi, recognizes and rewards innovation, leadership, and long-term vision in renewable energy and sustainability.

The Prize total of US$3.5 million was awarded in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) & Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) category to the UK’s Carbon Disclosure Project whilst India’s Orb Energy and Environmental Defence Fund of the US were first and second runners-up respectively in the same category. Dr Ashok Gadgil from the US won the Lifetime Achievement award while French company Schneider Electric received a Recognition Award in the Large Corporations category.

In the SME & NGO category, Carbon Disclosure Project was awarded US$1.5 million, while Orb Energy was named first runner-up with a cash prize of US$1 million and Environmental Defense Fund took away US$500,000 as the second runner-up.

All three finalists excelled in demonstrating clear impact through their work in disseminating solutions to further knowledge, creating awareness, as well as developing policies and technologies in renewable energy and sustainability.

Dr Ashok Gadgil, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, received US$500,000 for his pioneering efforts as one of the leading modern inventors in the US for the Darfur stove.

Recipient of the Large Corporations award, Schneider Electric, received a recognition award from the Prize.

Paul Dickinson, Executive Chairman, Carbon Disclosure Project, awarded for its pioneering use of market-based tools to solve environmental issues, from cap and trade approach to acid rain pollution, said: “We are delighted and honored to be recognized by the Zayed Future Energy Prize for the work we have done at the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Like the prize itself, CDP is committed to accelerating solutions that will meet the challenges of climate change, energy security and water scarcity. Winning this prize is a huge achievement and will help CDP to more rapidly catalyze change across the global economic system to prevent dangerous climate change, protect our natural resources and create long-term prosperity.”

Winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr Gadgil, who received the prize for his sustainable humanitarian work in Darfur – providing energy efficient cooking stoves known as Berkeley-Darfur stoves, cutting the need for firewood by 55% – said: “Being selected the winner for the Zayed Future Energy Prize is a great honor and tremendous validation of my lifelong passion and efforts for energy innovation and sustainability.

“Looking at the list of past prize winners and runners up – some of whose work I know well – I am impressed with the energy and ingenuity of this group, and I hope that we can work together, and inspire many others, to advance the aim of the Zayed Future Energy Prize – energy sustainability for the planet.”

Dr Gadgil further added: “Winning the Zayed Future Energy Prize deepens my commitment to energy innovation for sustainability. Together with my colleagues and co-workers, I will continue to advance the research, design, testing, and scale-up of fuel-efficient low-emission stoves for about three billion people (mostly women) that use biomass for cooking.”

On receiving the award, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, President and Chief Executive Officer of Schneider Electric, who won for their work towards making energy safe, reliable and efficient, said: “The world is in urgent need of innovative solutions to create a new, sustainable energy future. The UAE’s commitment towards sustainable development, which takes inspiration from the vision of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Abu Dhabi’s efforts in this domain are a decisive first step towards meeting and solving the global energy challenge.”

Members of the Jury of the Zayed Future Energy Prize present at the ceremony included His Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland and Chairman of the Jury; His Excellency Ahmed Al Sayegh, Chairman of Masdar; Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation, and Timothy Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation and the Better World Fund.

Jury member, actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, who could not attend, sent a video message to the audience.

The awards ceremony culminated a stringent year-long, four-stage process. Nominations for the Zayed Future Energy Prize were launched in May 2011 through a globally targeted campaign. In August, at the close of nominations, the Prize had received a record 1,103 submissions of which 425 were submitted by September, 2011.

In the first stage of the evaluation process, an independent research and analysis firm conducted a diligent examination of each candidate’s application. During the second stage, a Review Committee met on 23-24 October to evaluate each candidate and culled the numbers to a select 33 candidates across all categories using a scoring matrix based on the Prize’s four criteria.

In the third stage of the judging process from 13-14 November, a Selection Committee comprising leading experts in the field of renewable energy and sustainability evaluated the shortlisted entries. Submissions scoring the highest made it to the fourth and final round. The finalists included three candidates for the Large Corporations category, three candidates for the Lifetime Achievement Award and seven candidates who could win first, second and third prize for the SME & NGO category.

The Zayed Future Energy Prize is awarded annually to large corporations, individuals and SMEs and NGOs that have made significant contributions to the future of energy, climate change and sustainability. The 2013 edition of the awards will feature the newly instituted Global High School Prize to inspire a new generation of leaders and innovators.

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Posted by admin on Jan 18 2012. Filed under Solar Thermal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry