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The Zayed Future Energy Prize Review Committee has shortlisted 50 candidates for the 2013 edition of the awards that will include five categories: Large Corporations, SMEs, NGOs, Lifetime Achievement, and the newly launched distinction for Global High Schools A record total of 579 entries from 88 countries were received this year, marking a 36 per cent increase over last year.
The two-day meeting followed an initial vetting and selection process by a reputable international research and analysis firm, where the candidates were selected by the Review Committee based on four criteria: innovation, impact, leadership and long-term vision.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Director General of the Zayed Future Energy Prize (ZFEP), said: "The renewable energy industry has been growing steadily over the years; but what the world needs today, more than ever, is large scale deployment that demonstrates the commercial viability of clean technology adoption. This is where the Zayed Future Energy Prize can help; by shedding light on where the world stands today and where the gaps lie."
"In honoring the legacy of our late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and in taking forward the vision of our onward thinking leadership, the Zayed Future Energy Prize has become the foremost renewable energy and sustainability prize in the United Arab Emirates and a catalyst of growth in the industry," he added.
For ease of assessment, each category was divided into specialty clusters based on submissions. With each criterion carrying a different weight for each category, Large Corporations and SMEs place a larger emphasis on impact and long term vision, NGOs on impact and innovation. Lifetime Achievement assessments place emphasis on Innovation and Impact equally, while the Global High Schools Prize focuses on innovation and long term vision.
"Expanding the categories of the Zayed Future Energy Prize has supported us in ensuring that we recognize the different key players of the industry individually, while the newly launched prize for Global High Schools will serve to ensure that we continue to encourage and empower future generations to become the innovators we so urgently need," Dr Al Jaber explained.
Dr. Sgouris Sgouridis, Assistant Professor at the Masdar Institute Chairperson of the Review Committee, said: "This year has presented us with a very exciting group of submissions, both in terms of quantity and quality. What I find most interesting is that the submissions have helped me with the courses I teach – learning, through the Zayed Future Energy Prize about new innovation, technologies and their implementation.
“Over the past five years, I believe the Prize has grown in reputation to become the preeminent award in renewable energy and sustainability. I believe this has been achieved with the support of the Abu Dhabi leadership, who through the Prize, further reinforce the UAE’s commitment to sustainable energy."
Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Acting Director of the Directorate of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Vice Chairperson of the Review Committee, said, "It is an honor to be part of a Committee that endows a prize with Sheikh Zayed’s name attached to it. In reviewing the applications, I am reminded of what is possible when individuals, companies, and organizations dedicate themselves to a more sustainable future.
“Fundamentally, the Zayed Future Energy Prize embodies the Abu Dhabi government’s vision for a more sustainable future. The prize offers a real incentive for today’s innovators to push ahead towards the solutions we will need for a sustainable energy future tomorrow."
The Selection Committee will review the shortlisted candidates on September 26, 27.
The shortlist of 50 candidates will be further narrowed down to the top finalists by the Selection Committee, which consists of a group of high-level energy experts. Finally, a jury of world-renowned leaders and personalities will debate and select the winners for each category before the awards ceremony itself is held and the winners announced on January 15th, 2013, as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Earlier in the month, in the lead up to the meeting of the Review and Selection committees, the Prize held an induction workshop for all new members, introducing them to the online scoring matrix, the weights of each evaluation criteria and tools to support them in their assessments.
The workshop also included a brief overview on the newly refined mission and vision of the Prize, its strategic objectives and a year on year breakdown of the submissions since its inception in 2008.
Of the workshop, Dr Al Jaber said: “The process with which the winners are chosen every year has been intricately designed to ensure fair and equitable evaluation. It is very important to us that we achieve optimal transparency and results throughout this evaluation phase. Our esteemed jury members rely heavily on the evaluations of the Review and Selection Committees to make that final important decision.”
The online scoring system takes committee members through candidate summaries, scoring guidelines for every category and a detailed definition of each of the four criteria (Leadership, Long Term Vision, Innovation and Impact).
Moreover, prior to every meeting, all committee members receive details of access to the secure online portal in order to give them ample review time prior to the meetings.
For further details on the shortlisted candidates, please visit www.zayedfutureenergyprize.com
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