The Zayed Future Energy Prize will host a series of events during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), between January 16-23, to highlight how the prize’s growing community of winners, finalists and supporters are helping to turn the COP21 Paris climate agreement into action and take strides toward meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The prize’s schedule will kick-off with the 8th awards ceremony on January 18, immediately following the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week opening ceremony.

ADSW presents the first opportunity for global business leaders, academics, pioneers in innovation, and those providing practical solutions to critical issues in sustainability, to discuss at length how to take the COP21 agreement and turn it into tangible action. The week provides the perfect platform for the Zayed Future Energy Prize to showcase how it has empowered individuals and organisations to re-shape the world into one that is sustainable and provides safe, clean, energy access for all since its inception.

Key events for the Zayed Future Energy Prize include:

• Empowering Climate Victims through Energy Innovations, January 19: a panel discussion featuring Dr Han Seung-Soo, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Water (Keynote speech), Michael Liebreich, Chairman of the Advisory Board at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (Moderator), Dikirani Thaulo, Teacher Trainee, Zayed Solar Academy (Malawi), Caesar Mwangi, CEO, SunnyMoney (SolarAid), Ewa Wojkowska, Co-Founder and COO, Kopernik, and Ami Valdemoro, COO, Liter of Light.
• The Zayed Future Energy Prize will be a partner of ‘The Student Exclusive,’ January 19: A major youth engagement event that will be held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center on January 19 with guest star musician Akon. Finalists of the Global High Schools category of the Zayed Future Energy Prize will be sharing their experience of participating in the prize as part of the event.
• Sustainability and Future Energy Workshop, January 20: Liter of Light, the winner in last year’s NPO category, will be hosting a workshop at Masdar City with Global High School category finalists and local school students, focused on showcasing how simple innovations in energy can bring light to last-mile communities across the globe.
• In partnership with Masdar, the prize will convene a high-level conference under the WiSER (Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy) initiative on January 20. The event will see high-profile names such as former Prime Minister of Norway Dr. Gro Brundtland and Rachel Kyte, Director General of SE4All, share a platform with many other leading dignitaries in the field of sustainability.

As part of the prize’s overarching calendar there will also be a social media campaign, in partnership with Masdar, using the hashtag #ActionSpeaksLouder. The campaign will encourage visitors and participants of ADSW, as well as fans across the globe, to use the hashtag in support of a more sustainable future for all. To find out more about this campaign, please visit the prize’s social media platforms.

Submissions are already open for the next Zayed Future Energy Prize. This will be the 9th edition since its inception. Organisations, individuals and schools may enter on-line at www.ZayedFutureEnergyPrize.com.

Further details and a full schedule of events during ADSW 2016 are available at http://abudhabisustainabilityweek.com/