Our Judges Our Judges assess and review the submissions of the most pioneering organisations and
high schools creating positive change in their local communities and the world.
MEET THE JURY Selection Committee Our Jury, comprised of renowned global sustainability leaders, evaluates shortlisted submissions to elect
winners whose innovative solutions inspire a brighter future. H.E. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson Jury Chair and Former President Republic of Iceland Read More H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Read More H.E. Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui UAE Minister of Community Empowerment Read More H.E. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh UAE Minister of State Read More H.E. Mariam AlMehairi Head of the Office of International Affairs UAE Presidential Court Read More H.E. Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany UAE Permanent Representative IRENA Read More Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak Executive Managing Director, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund President, IUCN Read More H.E. Adnan Z. Amin Chair-designate World Energy Council Read More Sir Richard Branson Founder Virgin Group Read More Dr. Andreas Jacobs Chairman INSEAD Board of Directors Read More Dr. -Ing. Christian Bruch President and CEO Siemens Energy AG Read More Wang Chuan-fu Chairman and CEO BYD Read More Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim President Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad Read More Kate Hampton CEO Children’s Investment Fund Foundation Read More Dubai Abulhoul CEO Fiker Institute Read More
H.E. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson Jury Chair and Former President Republic of Iceland H.E. Ólafur Grímsson is a former President of Iceland (1996 to 2016), where he oversaw the country’s shift to a clean energy economy. Geothermal electricity production alone increased by 1,700 per cent, in a period closely corresponding to his time in office. Founder and Chairman of the NPO, Arctic Circle, he is also Chairman of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation.
H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi UAE Minister of Foreign Trade H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi is the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade and responsible for attracting top talents and boosting the UAE’s strategic direction. Formerly the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, he advanced environmental strategies locally and globally, focusing on climate action and biodiversity preservation. He also served as the UAE’s permanent representative to IRENA.
H.E. Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui UAE Minister of Community Empowerment H.E. Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui, is the UAE’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs. Aged 22 at her appointment (2016), she remains the youngest government minister in the world. Her role focuses on representing youth issues and aspirations, setting development plans and strategies for improving youth capabilities, in addition to further utilising their energy in various fields.
H.E. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh UAE Minister of State UAE Minister of State, H.E Ahmed Al Sayegh is also MD of Dolphin Energy Ltd. In a 36-year career, his wealth of experience in private and public sectors includes: Vice Chair of First Gulf Bank and Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS-WWF), a board member of Etihad Airways, and former chairman of Masdar.
H.E. Mariam AlMehairi Head of the Office of International Affairs UAE Presidential Court Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri was appointed as Minister of State for Food Security following the Cabinet reshuffle of October 2017. Her responsibilities include overseeing the development of the necessary infrastructure that would ensure the country’s food security objectives, in line with UAE Centennial 2071 Plan.
H.E. Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany UAE Permanent Representative IRENA H.E. Dr Nawal Al-Hosany is the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Previously serving as Dep. Director-General, Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA), Executive Director of Sustainability at Masdar, and Director of Zayed Future Energy Prize; in 2015, H.E. Dr Al-Hosany was instrumental in the launch of the UAE-led Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) initiative.
Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak Executive Managing Director, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund President, IUCN Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak is a global leader in nature conservation and climate action, serving as President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and former UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28. She is Managing Director of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Emirates Nature-WWF, and founding director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Razan also serves as UAE Sherpa for the Sustainable Ocean Economy Panel and Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.
H.E. Adnan Z. Amin Chair-designate World Energy Council Adnan Z. Amin is a renowned global leader in sustainable development and international energy diplomacy, with over three decades of experience spanning the United Nations, multilateral institutions, and global climate initiatives. He is the Chair-designate of the World Energy Council and currently serves as Special Envoy of the President of COP30. As CEO of COP28, he oversaw the delivery of the historic UAE Consensus, advancing global commitments to transition away from fossil fuels. Mr. Amin was the Founding Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), where he led the agency’s transformation into a key voice in the global energy transition. A former Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and advisor to numerous high-level initiatives, he continues to shape global energy and climate policy through advisory roles across governments, academia, and the private sector.
Sir Richard Branson Founder Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson is a British business magnate, investor, author and philanthropist. Founder of Virgin Group, in 1970, he built one of the world’s most recognised and diverse brands with 60+ companies, in 35 countries. Sir Richard is also highly active with many organisations addressing global challenges, including the Virgin Green Fund, which invests in the renewable energy and resource efficiency sectors, in the US and Europe.
Dr. Andreas Jacobs Chairman INSEAD Board of Directors Dr. Jacobs is Chair of INSEAD and Minibar, President of Niantic Holding, he sits on the Advisory Board of the Oetker Group (Germany) Louis Dreyfus (Netherlands), and was previously Chair of Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate manufacturer. With great insights in sustainable food production and practices from farm to consumer, Dr. Jacobs is also a long-time entrepreneur/investor in youth development and business education.
Dr. -Ing. Christian Bruch President and CEO Siemens Energy AG Christian Bruch is also CEO of Siemens Gas and Power Management GmbH and he worked at the Linde Group in various positions before joining Siemens in May 2020. Christian Bruch holds a degree in mechanical engineering (Diplom-Ingenieur) from Leibniz University of Hanover, studied at the University of Strathclyde Glasgow, and received his doctorate from the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.
Wang Chuan-fu Chairman and CEO BYD Mr Wang is founder and CEO of BYD. The Chinese company makes batteries for mobile devices, grid-tied energy storage, and is currently the largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, in the world. As the world’s third largest lithium ion battery producer, BYD’s grid-scale energy storage equals 23 per cent of globally commissioned installed capacity (not inc. pumped hydro or compressed air systems).
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim President Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is an environmental activist and member of Chad’s pastoralist Mbororo people. She is dedicated to the protection of all Indigenous peoples and to the value of their traditional knowledge in the fight against climate change and biodiversity protection. She is a member of the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee and International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change.
Kate Hampton CEO Children’s Investment Fund Foundation Kate Hampton has served as CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) since 2016, after leading its Climate team from 2009. She chairs the European Climate Foundation and advises bodies including the Observer Research Foundation, CCICED, and the We Protect Global Alliance. Her career spans government, finance, consulting, and NGOs. She holds an OBE, UAE’s Order of Zayed II, and China’s Friendship Award. Kate earned degrees from LSE and Harvard Kennedy School, where she was a Fulbright scholar.
Dubai Abulhoul CEO Fiker Institute Dubai Abulhoul is the founder of Fiker Institute, an international affairs think tank, which focuses on global governance reform, climate security & gender equality. In 2023, Dubai launched its politics library, which houses over 15,000 books on foreign policy and international development. She is a member of the World Economic Forum's Council on the Future of Geopolitics, & a Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation. She was named Forbes Middle East's 30 under 30 & graduated from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
Inspiration delivered to your inbox Get all the latest updates from the Zayed Sustainability Prize and learn about the impact our finalists, winners and partners are making globally.