Abu Dhabi-UAE: 8 December, 2014 – The Zayed Future Energy Prize has announced the launch of a nationwide public awareness campaign on social media - #YTurnItOff - to highlight the importance of water and energy conservation in the UAE. The campaign invites the nation’s young residents to post 15-second videos on Instagram that suggest simple methods of saving water or energy at home or school.
#YTurnItOff kicks off with a competition on 8 December, inviting students (aged 11-17) to post videos to the Zayed Future Energy Prize Instagram page (@ZFEP) using the hash tag. Applying creativity to conservation, students from across the UAE will offer proactive solutions for saving water and energy at home or school. Submissions for entries will close on 20 December, after which 20 videos will be shortlisted and opened up to a public vote on Instagram.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, director-general of the Zayed Future Energy Prize said, “Water and energy are vital resources to our economy. To preserve them for the future we must cultivate an ethos of sustainability in the next generation, alerting them to their responsibility to care for the environment by taking simple, individual actions.”
“This campaign is an extension of the Global High Schools category - which works with young people in the UAE and around the world to accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency and sustainability in schools. The young winners of this campaign will go on join the 2015 Global High Schools winners and finalists as representatives of the nation and the face of a new generation of leaders for sustainability.”
The Zayed Future Energy Prize campaign will be supported by popular radio stations and #YTurnItOff branded bus visits to local schools, where students will have the opportunity to win instant prizes by posting their v-log.
Finalists will be shortlisted based on their creativity, innovation and practicality of their proposed idea to save water or energy. From 4-10 January families, schools and communities will be encouraged to vote on Instagram for their favorite #YTurnItoff finalist.
Winners will be announced on 12 January. The top 10 videos with the highest number of ‘likes’ on Instagram will win special prizes, including a chance to attend the Zayed Future Energy Prize awards ceremony at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Winners of the YTurnItOff# competition will join the 2015 Global High Schools winners and finalists as young ambassadors of the UAE.
By conserving resources, young people play an important role in reinforcing the UAE’s position as a responsible energy leader. Aligned with Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), 19-23 January – the largest gathering on sustainability in the Middle East - the campaign seeks to engage the public and the youth in issues central to the summit: water, energy conservation and energy security.