The Zayed Future Energy Prize, established in 2008 by the United Arab Emirates Government, honours the vision of the late founding father and president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who championed environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
The US$4 million annual award invites innovators from around the world to be part of a growing community, committed to finding solutions that will meet the challenges of climate change, energy security and the environment. The award celebrates significant achievements in renewable energy and sustainability by recognising, rewarding and inspiring some of the most visionary and innovative leaders in these fields.
With a mind towards ensuring that the Prize reaches out to the different key players in the industry; The Prize will is awarded annually to: A Large Corporation, A Small and Medium Enterprise, A Non-Governmental Organization, a Lifetime Achievement recipient and up to 5 High Schools from 5 different world regions.
The Prize Fund
The prize was increased in 2012 totaling to US$4 million, making it the world’s largest annual prize purse in renewable energy and sustainability. The Prize is distributed among the categories as per the following breakdown
Large Corporation – Recognition Award (No monetary value)
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) – US$ 1,500,000 (One million and five hundred thousand dollars)
Non-Profit Organization (NPO/NGO) – US$ 1,500,000 (One million and five hundred thousand dollars)
Lifetime Achievement (Individuals) – US$ 500,000 (Five hundred thousand dollars)
Global High School – US$ 500,000 – Total value (Five hundred thousand dollars). This amount is divided amongst 5 Global High Schools in 5 different regions (Americas, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Asia), awarding each up to US$ 100,000 (One hundred thousand dollars).
The Award Process
The Zayed Future Energy Prize award process is a stringent four-stage evaluation. The first stage is due-diligence, conducted by a renowned research and analysis firm; ensuring submissions and nominations comply with the Prize regulations. A meeting of the Review Committee follows for the preparation of a shortlist using a scoring matrix for each category, based on the Prize criteria: impact, innovation, leadership and long-term vision. The Selection Committee then meets to identify and compile a final shortlist for review by the Prize Jury, who selects the winners by unanimous decision. The Zayed Future Energy Prize only announces the winners at the Prize award ceremony during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
