Sharjah24 – WAM: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today presented the awards to the 10 winners of the Zayed Prize for Sustainability 2023.
The awards ceremony coincided with the start of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023 (ADSW).
The ceremony was also attended by. Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Ministry of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; With a number of sheikhs and high officials.
Also in attendance were various heads of state, ministers and other high-level dignitaries from the UAE and abroad, in addition to past winners and 2023 finalists.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed congratulated the winners in all five categories, reaffirming the role of the Prize 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 important global initiatives at the heart of our mission to create a better future for all, both within the UAE than beyond our national borders. The bold ambition of the Zayed Prize for Sustainability remains at the forefront of these efforts. This creates a pathway to deliver humanitarian assistance and life-changing solutions to communities around the world. .
Sheikh Mohamed stressed that this year, which marks 15 years of the Award, will also be a historic year for the UAE as it prepares to host the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention United Nations on Climate Change). In this context, this year’s awards serve as an important reminder of the need for greater international collaboration to mobilize climate action and create opportunities for sustainable economic and social development in all nations, including countries in the Global South. .
His Highness continued, “Over the past 15 years, the Zayed Prize for Sustainability has successfully built on the legacy of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed, and continued his bold humanitarian vision, ensuring that the resources of our great nation are fully utilized. for the benefit of all. Today, the Zayed Prize for Sustainability is an internationally recognized award that mobilizes innovators, social entrepreneurs and young people to accelerate positive change for our planet and for all people.
The US$3 million award is the UAE’s pioneering global sustainability award that recognizes and rewards small and medium-sized businesses, nonprofits and high schools around the world that deliver impactful, innovative solutions. and inspiration in the areas of health, food, energy and water.
Thanks to its 96 past laureates, 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 regions of the world, with each winner receiving up to US$100,000.
His Highness also underscored the need to develop bright young people into the critical thinkers and sustainability leaders of tomorrow, and praised the Global High Schools category of the Prize, which empowers young people to play an active role in the supporting the socio-economic development of their communities.
In the Health category, the Brazilian Association Expedicionários da Saúde (EDS) received the award for its mobile hospital complex, which provides specialized medical and surgical care to geographically isolated indigenous communities in the Amazon. The objective of the Mobile Hospital Complex is to reach the most difficult areas of the Amazon, guaranteeing patient safety and comfort and excellence in the quality of the services provided. During six expeditions from 2015 to 2022, the nonprofit organization performed more than 1,900 surgeries that improved health outcomes, including better vision after cataract surgery.
Ÿnsect from France was the winner in the Food category for its important work on insect-based proteins and natural fertilizers. The SME produces insect proteins and natural insect fertilizers in the first insect factory of its kind in Europe equipped with an innovative vertical culture and an integrated biorefinery facility. Ÿnsect transforms two species of insects (molitor and buffalo mealworms) into high-end, high-value ingredients for the entire food chain: plants, fish, farm animals, pets and humans. Ÿnsect is currently building a new factory in France and operates two other sites in France and the Netherlands. By 2025, Ÿnsect will be able to produce more than 1,500 tons of protein per month.
Over the past five years, Ÿnsect has improved the lives of 30 million people by providing sustainable, natural and high quality nutritional products for fish farming (as an alternative fish feed to meet the dietary needs of aquaculture ) and human nutrition. The demonstration plant currently operated by the company produces 30 tonnes of protein per month.
In the Energy category, Jordanian company NeuroTech developed Al-based algorithms with a blockchain-based transaction system to bring reliable energy access to refugee camps. EMS uses the concept of power sharing by separating electrical loads into low and high priority streams. Thus, recipients are assured of receiving their life-saving energy, and additional energy is routed to low-priority feeders, depending on energy availability. Sophisticated energy management and control reduces electrical stress and educates consumers about electricity.
During its pilot phase, NeuroTech helped provide electricity to over 10,000 Syrian refugees in Azraq. By optimizing the use and distribution of energy, NeuroTech has helped reduce the strain on the main respiratory section of the hospital by making electricity available 24/7. Patients can now use a personal nebulizer, a medical device used during the COVID-19 pandemic and for people with chronic respiratory conditions.
LEDARS (Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society), a Bangladeshi NPO, won the Water category award for its integrated water resources management model that addresses water scarcity issues in disaster-prone areas. Their combination of technologies is helping to transform communities in Bangladesh, so people can have access to clean water and climate-smart livelihoods.
With the support of LEDARS, 5,250 biological sand filters, 65 pond sand filters, 185 rainwater harvesting systems and 69 protection ponds have been installed in communities in Bangladesh, supporting the cultivation of rice paddies and vegetables throughout the year on previously barren land. LEDARS initiatives have created access to clean water for at least 15,881 families. Thanks to this solution, more than 12 million gallons of water have been saved.
Jury Chair and former President of the Republic of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, said: “This year’s winners have demonstrated a new level of creativity and ambition in their solutions to address pressing global challenges. . We are confident that these winners will have a meaningful and scalable impact in communities around the world and, in turn, accelerate important climate action goals to help ensure a sustainable future for all.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates and Managing Director of the Zayed Prize for Sustainability, said: “Since the wise leaders of our country established the Zayed Prize for Sustainability 15 years ago, the award became a key supporter of the UAE’s vision to drive inclusive climate action and international sustainable development. By providing concrete sustainability solutions to vulnerable communities around the world, the award honors Sheikh Zayed’s contribution to social good and uplifts humanity globally.
Our 106 winners are taking action to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. Through their commitment to championing affirmative action, millions of people who lived without access to energy, water, healthcare or food in the developing world now have opportunities for economic development and sustainable social outcomes, including access to quality education, decent work and economic growth. …and improved livelihoods.
Al Jaber added: “As the UAE prepares to host COP28 later this year, the Zayed Prize for Sustainability is a vital reminder of the UAE’s commitment to accelerating the practical solutions needed to help societies to mitigate and adapt to climate change”.
Since 2013, the award has recognized 46 high schools in its Global High Schools category from countries around the world. Students from these schools won for their proposals for self-sustaining projects that have since been implemented by young people. Together they generated 7.2 million kWh of electricity, saved 5,700 tonnes of CO2 and positively impacted 427,408 people in their communities.
The recipients of the 2023 Global High School Awards are Fundacion Bios Terrae – ICAM Ubate (Colombia), representing the Americas; Romain-Rolland-Gymnasium (Germany), representing Europe and Central Asia; Gifted Students School (Iraq), representing the Middle East and North Africa region; UWC East Africa – Arusha Campus (Tanzania), representing sub-Saharan Africa; Dhaka Residential Model College (Bangladesh), representing South Asia, and finally, Kamil Muslim College (Fiji) from the East Asia and Pacific region.
The winners were selected from a pool of 4,538 – a record number of submissions – chosen by a panel of more than 40 experts. Jury members include Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, former President of the Republic of Iceland, Cabinet Ministers from the United Arab Emirates, Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group, Dr. Andreas Jacobs, Chairman of INSEAD, Jacobs Family Council, among others.
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