OVER 4,500 entries from 152 countries joined the Zayed Sustainability Prize, the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) pioneering global award recognizing excellence in sustainability. A total of 4,538 entries were received across the five Prize categories of health, food, energy, water and global high schools, demonstrating the Prize’s growing global reach and impact.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize winners will be announced at the 2023 Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony that will be held on Jan. 16, 2023 as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The Prize witnessed a 13-percent increase in submissions compared to last year from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), nonprofit organizations and high schools. Total submissions from SMEs increased across all categories, underscoring a rising trend that SMEs are putting sustainability at the top of their agenda.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and director general of the Prize, said for the last 14 years, the Zayed Sustainability Prize has incentivized practical solutions to global challenges that deliver tangible impact at a community level around the world.

“Inspired by the commitment to sustainable development and the humanitarian legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Prize has improved the lives of 370 million people in 151 countries to date. This year, we have seen applications from a record number of countries across every category from health, food, energy, water and global high schools. I’m excited to see what creative solutions this year’s applicants will bring to the table, particularly as the UAE prepares to host COP 28 next year,” Jaber said.

A total of $3-million prize is at stake for the competition.

Each winner in the health, food, energy and water categories receive $600,000 to expand the scope and scale of their sustainability solution, while the global high schools category has six winners, representing six world regions, with each winner receiving up to $100,000.

This year’s submissions were more diverse than ever before, revealing climate change’s impact on every country across every continent and reflecting a growing awareness that urgent climate action is critical to meet global netzero carbon goals by mid-century.

More submissions received this year came from developing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, which is an important indication of the growing participation of developing countries in the fight against climate change.

Food topped the number of submissions with 1,426; followed by health, 946; energy, 736; and water, 601. The global high schools category received 829 submissions.