Applications for the 2024 Paulson Sustainability Prize are officially launched
On April 29, the Paulson Institute and Tsinghua University announced the launch of applications for the 2024 Paulson Sustainability Prize. From now until June 30, 2024, the Paulson Prize is officially open to enterprises, institutions, social groups, non-governmental organizations and other relevant institutions registered in Chinese mainland to solicit the most innovative and leading projects in the field of sustainable development.
"Now more than ever, we need to recognize the solutions that heal the planet. The Paulson Prize contributes to accelerating the global transition to net-zero emissions and driving a better future for nature. "With this award, we look forward to working with all partners and innovators to further support and advance sustainable innovation." ”
The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Dubai last December conducted the first "global stocktake" of climate action since the signing of the Paris Agreement, calling on countries to expand climate finance, transition to renewable energy, and promote coordinated governance of climate and biodiversity.
Yang Bin, Vice President of Tsinghua University, said: "Today, climate change and biodiversity loss are still the two major global issues facing humanity. Addressing climate change depends on human beings reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality through green innovation, while protecting and restoring biodiversity requires human beings to respect, conform to, and protect nature to build a community of life between man and nature. We hope that more governments, businesses, and institutions will pay attention to and participate in the Paulson Prize to provide innovative solutions for sustainable global development." ”
The Paulson Prize is divided into two categories, "Green Innovation" and "Nature Conservation", and is a collection of innovative sustainable solutions based on urban habitats and natural ecosystems. The award has set up an independent judging committee, bringing together well-known experts in the fields of architecture, economics, finance, energy, ecology and environmental protection from China and abroad. According to the evaluation criteria, the judges will focus on evaluating the projects from the five dimensions of innovation, green and ecological environmental benefits, demonstration and promotion, financial mechanism and social benefits, and inspect the shortlisted projects, and finally select the annual award-winning projects under the two categories.
Among them, the "green innovation" category aims to attract and motivate solutions that actively respond to climate change, improve environmental quality, promote the transformation and upgrading of the energy structure and green and low-carbon development, and build a sustainable future where the environment and economy go hand in hand. This category solicits solutions in the fields of energy and resource conservation, comprehensive utilization of resources, circular economy, environmental pollution prevention and control, energy conservation and emission reduction, explores innovative practices in the collaborative governance of climate change and biodiversity conservation, and encourages the application of innovative models and emerging technologies, including but not limited to green financial product and service innovation, as well as technological innovations such as 5G, big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.
"This year, we are also focusing on innovative practices that enable sustainable development with new quality productivity, including green innovation projects in strategic emerging industries such as hydrogen energy, energy storage, biomanufacturing, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), and new materials. Zhuang Weimin, co-chairman of the jury, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, professor of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, and chief architect of Tsinghua University's Architectural Design and Research Institute, said, "These green innovation practices, which have been tested by China's large-scale market, can provide useful references for other countries around the world." ”
The "Nature Conservation" category focuses on identifying and recognizing innovative solutions to protect and restore ecosystems to help address the urgent challenges of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss in China, which are mainly driven by human activities and climate change, and promote the harmonious coexistence of people and nature. This category calls for innovative projects and mechanisms that are highly sustainable and scalable for the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems/biodiversity, and the enhancement of ecosystem services.
Lynn Scarlett, co-chair of the jury, former chief external affairs officer of The Nature Conservancy and former undersecretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, said: "Nature is our life-support system, and it is critical to work together to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. The Paulson Prize plays a unique role in identifying, recognizing, and advancing innovation and best practice in the field. ”
Launched by the Paulson Institute in 2013 and co-hosted with Tsinghua University since 2017, the Paulson Prize is one of the most influential international awards in the field of sustainable development. This annual award recognises innovative, replicable and economically and environmentally sound solutions in China to address the world's most pressing climate and biodiversity challenges.
