Zayed Sustainability Prize

Innovating for Humanity
Newsletter - September 2025

This month's newsletter spotlights the Zayed Sustainability Prize Dialogues in India alongside global conversations on food systems, energy access and youth innovation.

Lighting Innovation from the Ground Up

Liter of Light is proving that community-driven, low-cost solutions can power real change. Since winning the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2015, it has expanded to over 30 countries, teaching communities to build solar lights from everyday materials that replace kerosene lamps, cut household expenses, create livelihoods, and transform lives.

Africa’s Future Runs on Water

Africa’s development hinges on treating water as essential infrastructure, not an afterthought. From health to food security, the continent’s future depends on reliable access to this vital resource, a reminder of why water innovation remains a core focus for the Prize.

The AI Energy Paradox

Artificial intelligence is fuelling a surge in global energy demand yet it also has the power to drive positive change. As PV Magazine reports, this paradox could become an opportunity. Schneider Electric, a Zayed Sustainability Prize winner, is showing how smart energy management can turn rising demand into real progress.

Expanding Clean Energy Access in Africa

Prize winner Ignite Power completed its acquisition of Engie Energy Access earlier this month, creating Africa’s largest distributed renewable energy provider. The company now reaches over 16 million people in 12 countries, delivering affordable solutions that power both urban and rural communities and is on a mission to provide energy access to 100 million people across the continent by 2030.

What Will the World’s Energy Future Look Like?

From powering homes to fueling economies, energy shapes every aspect of life. In Episode 52 of Voices of Sustainability, Narendra Taneja, Chairman of the Independent Energy Policy Institute, reflects on building a just global energy order rooted in access and affordability. At a time of uncertainty, he reminds us that “energy is life, survival and future,” and calls for innovation and inclusion to drive the transition.