10 Privileged Award Winners To Be Awarded By President

The Prize’s Awards Ceremony occurs simultaneously with the beginning of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).

According to the report, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed congratulated winners across the five categories, reasserting the Prize’s role as a global catalyst for sustainability and humanitarian action.

In his remarks on the awards ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said, "The UAE continues to lead on important global initiatives at the heart of our mission to create a better future for all, both within the UAE and beyond our nation’s borders." The bold ambition of the Zayed Sustainability Prize remains at the forefront of these efforts. It creates a pathway for delivering life-changing humanitarian aid and solutions to communities around the world.

Sheikh Mohamed stressed on how this year, which marks 15 years of the Prize, will also be a historic year for the UAE as it prepares to host the 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP28) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).

His Highness continued, "Over the last 15 years, the Zayed Sustainability Prize has successfully built upon the legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, and carried forward his bold humanitarian vision, ensuring that the resources of our great nation are fully used to the benefit of all people."

"Today, the Zayed Sustainability Prize stands as an internationally recognised award that mobilises innovators, social entrepreneurs, and young people to accelerate positive change for our planet and all people."

Recognitions & rewards

"The US$3 million Prize is the UAE’s pioneering global award in sustainability that recognises and rewards small and medium-sized enterprises, nonprofit organizations, and high schools around the world that are delivering impactful, innovative, and inspiring solutions in health, food, energy, and water," stated the report.

Through its 96 former winners, the Prize has transformed the lives of more than 378 million people around the world since 2008, including in Vietnam, Nepal, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Maldives, and Tuvalu. in the Health, Food, Energy, and Water categories.

Each winner receives US$600,000, while the Global High Schools category has six winners, representing six world regions, with each winner receiving up to US$100,000.

According to the report, His Highness also emphasized the need to develop bright young people into the critical thinkers and sustainability leaders of tomorrow and praised the Prize’s Global High Schools category, which empowers youth to play an active role in supporting their communities’ socio-economic development.

Category vise awards

In the Health category, Brazil’s Associaço Expedicionários da Sade (EDS) was awarded the Prize for its Mobile Hospital Complex, which provides specialised medical and surgical care for indigenous communities geographically isolated within the Amazon.

The main objective of the mobile hospital complex, according to the report, is to reach the most difficult areas in the Amazon, guaranteeing the safety and comfort of patients and excellence in the quality of services provided.

Insect from France was the Food category winner for its important work in insect-based protein and natural fertilizers.

Insect is currently building a new factory in France and operates two other sites in France and the Netherlands. Insect will be able to produce over 1,500 metric tonnes of protein per month by 2025.

In the past five years, Insect has improved the lives of 30 million people by delivering sustainable, natural, premium nutrition products for fish farming (as an alternative fish feed to meet aquaculture’s food supply needs) and human nutrition. The demo plant currently operated by the company produces 30 metric tonnes of protein per month.

In the energy category, Jordan-based NeuroTech developed algorithm-based algorithms with a blockchain-based transaction system to bring reliable energy access to refugee camps.

The SME employs the concept of energy sharing by separating electrical loads into low- and high-priority streams. Sophisticated energy management and control reduce electricity stress and increase consumer awareness about electricity.

During its pilot phase, NeuroTech helped deliver electrical power to more than 10,000 Syrian refugees in Iraq, as mentioned in the report.

LEDARS (Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society), an NPO from Bangladesh, secured the Water category win for its integrated water resource management model that solves water scarcity issues in disaster-prone areas.

Their combination of technologies helps transform communities in Bangladesh so people can have access to safe drinking water and climate-smart livelihoods.

Lafur Ragnar Grmsson, Chair of the Jury and former President of the Republic of Iceland, stated, "This year's winners have demonstrated a new level of creativity and ambition in their solutions to pressing global challenges.""We are confident that these winners will provide meaningful and scalable impact in communities across the world and, in turn, accelerate important climate action goals to help secure a sustainable future for all," said the report.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, commented, "As the UAE prepares to host COP28 later this year, the Zayed Sustainability Prize stands as a critical reminder of the UAE’s commitment to accelerating practical solutions needed to help societies mitigate and adapt to climate change."

Since 2013, the Prize has recognised 46 high schools from around the world in its Global High Schools category.

Students at these schools won for their self-led project proposals that have since been implemented by the youth. According to the report, they have generated 7.2 million kWh of electricity, saved 5,700 tonnes of CO2, and positively impacted 427,408 people in their communities. 

By Sumita Pawar