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Schools category of Zayed Energy Prize hailed

Abu Dhabi — The UAE announced the success of its commitment to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative through the Global High Schools category of the Zayed Future Energy Prize on Thursday on the last day of the Second Annual United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Forum at the UN in New York.

Dr Kandeh Yumkella, special representative of the UN secretary-general & CEO of SE4All and Ahmed Alhendawi, the UN secretary-general’s envoy on youth, presented certificates of recognition to student representatives of three previous prize winners in the Global High Schools category at a special awards ceremony in the UN headquarters.

In 2012, the Global High Schools category was introduced as a commitment to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s SE4All initiative, for which he announced the targets at the 2012 World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

Now in its fourth year, the Global High Schools category provides $500,000 a year of valuable funding to schools around the world, aiming to accelerate the adoption of clean energy through education. So far, 14 schools worldwide have received $100,000 each for project proposals.

On the second day of the forum, Ruby Williams, a current student of Melbourne Girls’ College and Dikirani Thaulo, former student of Zayed Solar Academy represented the Zayed Future Energy Prize in a panel titled, ‘Rising Tide: The Power of Youth’. The session determined that young people should not be viewed solely as the ‘next’ generation as they can have a major impact in the world today.

Organisations, individuals and high schools can visit the Zayed Future Energy website at www.ZayedFutureEnergyPrize.com for more information on how to submit for the 2016 awards or to nominate candidates for the lifetime achievement category. Submissions and nominations close on 22 June.

In seven years Zayed Future Energy Prize has touched lives of over 150 million people, generating 190,000 MWh from renewable energy sources, reducing 800 million tonnes of carbon emissions, providing safe drinking water to six million people and introducing 350,000 people to sustainable solutions and management best practices.

  reporters@khaleejtimes.com