The decision followed Her Highness’s first ever attendance of the awards ceremony, which took place the night before (January 20), under the patronage of High Highness General Sheikh Mohammed in Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The announcement of the grant was made at the finalist recognition ceremony, held today at the World Future Energy Summit,
Her Highness praised the caliber of the renewable energy and sustainable development undertaken at the schools and was specifically impressed by the practical renewable energy and sustainability solutions proposed by the students, the high levels of awareness of the challenges that lie ahead and the innovative thinking that shaped all their proposals. Her Highness also emphasized that all finalists deserve to win, be encouraged and motivated.
Making the announcement, Dr Al Jaber said, "I am honored today to announce, based on the directive from Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Zayed Future Energy Prize will be awarding US$50,000 to all the Global High Schools finalists. The funding aims to help the schools implement their proposed sustainability projects.
“This gesture reflects the support fostered by Her Highness for education, empowerment and innovation among the future generation, across the globe,” added Dr Al Jaber. “Her Highness’ attendance of the awards ceremony is a reflection of her interest in taking forward the legacy of the late founding father of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Sheikh Zayed was a lifelong advocate of sustainable development of the nation, its land and its people.”
The Five Global High Schools finalists receiving the grant include Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Peru), Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day School (US), Queen Elizabeth II High School (UK), Abaarso School of Science and Technology (Somalia) and Urrbrae Agricultural High School (Australia).
Following the announcement, the five school finalists pledged to begin implementation on their projects and stated they were inspired towards greater innovation towards a clean energy future. They expressed great appreciation to the UAE and its continued effort to support and foster sustainable development globally.
At the recognition ceremony, 12 finalists across five categories were presented with certificates of appreciation commending them for their achievements and contributions to the renewable energy and sustainability sectors, by His Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, president of the Republic of Iceland and jury chairman of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, accompanied by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
Speaking at the ceremony, His Excellency President Grímsson said, “Our finalists go through a rigorous selection process - each of them have been chosen for the tremendous contribution they have made to advancing renewable energy and sustainability. Through their innovative technology and solutions, combined with an exceptional commitment to excellence, they are shaping a more sustainable future for us all. We wish each of our finalists the very best to continue their good work and thank them for being part of the Prize.”
The remaining finalists include:
Large Corporation: GE (US) and Walmart Stores, Inc. (US)
Small Medium Enterprise: Clean Power Finance (US), EcoNation (Belgium) and SELCO (India)
Non-Governmental Organisation: Practical Action (UK) and World Resources Institute (US)