The jury panel of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, the world’s foremost award for innovation in renewable energy and sustainability, met yesterday (November 17) to select the winners for 2014.

A total of 23 shortlisted submissions were evaluated across five categories: Large Corporation, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), Lifetime Achievement, and Global High Schools.

The closed-door jury meetings mark the culmination of a stringent four-tier judging process that started with an initial assessment by the international research and analysis firm, Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

This was followed by the meetings of the Review and Selection Committees to score candidates on the basis of the Prize’s four criteria: innovation, impact, leadership and long-term vision.

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE minister of state, director general of the Zayed Future Energy Prize and chief executive officer of Masdar, said: “When the UAE leadership established the Zayed Future Energy Prize six years ago, they were guided by the legacy and vision of our founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to create a truly global prize that recognizes and rewards the exemplary work of individuals and organizations in shaping a better tomorrow.”

“Our winners are global and their impact has been truly global. In six years, the Prize has grown into a platform that impacts the lives of many around the world, accelerating energy and water access, renewable energy advocacy and deployment and energy efficiency, even while creating education and job opportunities through the projects pioneered by our winners,” added Dr Al Jaber.

Winners of the Zayed Future Energy Prize have trained over a 1,000 women as green technicians and implemented more than two million solar home systems in Bangladesh. They have provided scholarships in the UAE, Nigeria, Mexico and Bangladesh. They have created an education fund to teach sustainability to schools in African villages and have helped provide over 5 million people with affordable safe drinking water daily.

Chaired by His Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of the Republic of Iceland, the 2014 judging panel includes heads of state, leading energy experts and world-renowned personalities committed to the global effort of accelerating the adoption of renewable energy and sustainability.

Addressing members of the media after the jury meetings, President Grímsson said: “The Zayed Future Energy Prize is one of a kind – it is the only prize that recognizes and rewards the solutions for the future. The Prize shows us that a different kind of future is possible.

“The leadership of the UAE should be very proud to have created this prize that inspires and enables individuals, schools and organisations from across the world to join hands on a mission for a more sustainable world. The finalists we have seen today give me a sense of inspiration.”

“This year, we saw a record number of Global High School submissions. It is profound and inspiring to see the youth of today participate in such large numbers. It is a strong indication of their demand for a more sustainable future,” added President Grimsson.

The Zayed Future Energy Prize, managed by Masdar, is a $4 million prize for individuals and organizations working to find solutions to tackle the global challenges of energy, water and sustainability.

Winners of the sixth edition will be announced at the Zayed Future Energy Prize awards ceremony scheduled for January 20, 2014 as part of the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. – TradeArabia News Service