Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Award will start accepting nominees under three categories from 28 May
Abu Dhabi is celebrating the many innovations and advances in sustainability with a new environmental award that will honour exceptional work by individuals, researchers and private institutions.
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Award to encourage environmental initiatives across all segments of society.
The first edition of the award will accept nominees from Abu Dhabi under three categories: Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Medal, Environmental Research Award, and Environmental Performance Award.
The Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Medal honours individuals who have achieved excellence in environmental work across three sub-categories: ‘optimal natural resource user’ (fishermen, farmers, owners of groundwater wells, falconers); ‘environmental initiators’ (individual environmental initiatives), and ‘environmental influencers’.
The Environmental Research Award will recognise the best individual or collective scientific research that offer innovative and practical solutions to current and future environmental problems. This category has two sub-categories: ‘research institution’ and ‘environmental researcher’.
The Environmental Performance Award focuses on the environmental best practices or pioneering initiatives of private institutions and industrial facilities.
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Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EAD, said the award is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, who declared that 2023 will be the ‘Year of Sustainability’ in the UAE under the theme ‘Today for tomorrow’.
EAD will start accepting nominations on 28 May on its website. The award is open to self-nominations or nominations by individuals and institutions. The winners will be selected based on a criteria developed in cooperation with EFQM.
Underlining the importance of the new award, winners of the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Award will receive their prizes during a ceremony at COP28.
Apart from supporting the emirate’s sustainability goals, institutions and industrial establishments participating in the Environmental Performance Award can also benefit from fast-track environmental licensing and approval. The winning establishment, meanwhile, will be labelled as ‘low risk to the environment’ and will be subject to fewer environmental inspections.
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Image source Environment Agency Abu Dhabi