Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi receives 150 applications for Hamdan Bin Zayed Award

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Following the successful launch of the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Environmental Award in May 2023 in collaboration with European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) has announced it has received 150 applications from individuals and entities across all categories.

A dedicated technical committee was formed, comprising experts from relevant fields, which thoroughly reviewed each application to ensure adherence to the specified criteria. As a result, 86 applicants have been qualified and deemed eligible to participate in the award.

To ensure the participants are well-prepared for their roles, a series of nine workshops were conducted from July 11 to July 20. Covering various aspects, the workshops included report writing guidance and responding to assessment criteria. The events were very successful, with 106 attendees benefiting from the award training workshops, enhancing their preparedness for the award assessment process.

Aysha Al Ketbi, Director Strategic Planning Office from EAD said: “The overwhelming response to the Sheikh Hamdan Environmental Award is a testament to the dedication of numerous individuals and institutions in the emirate of Abu Dhabi towards environmental conservation and improvement, and it is a clear sign that our work and our efforts in creating awareness among the public has sparked interest in environmental conservation from so many people and organisations who are pursuing a more sustainable path in a variety of different ways — whether on an individual and personal level or on a corporate and professional level.”

She added: “We at EAD are also proud to announce that 12 Assessors from the Agency have been accredited by our award partner – the European Foundation for Quality Management – and these assessors are now qualified to participate in the award assessment process.”

The process of submission writing commenced on July 11 through the EFQM Assess Base platform. The submission deadline for the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Environmental Medal and Environmental Scientific Research Award is August 7, 2023, while the Environmental Performance Award closing on September 15, 2023.

The submission deadline for the medal and award is August 7, 2023.

Isra’a Mobideen from EFQM said: “Regarding the assessment of participants for the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Environmental Medal and the Environmental Scientific Research, the assessment process will begin on August 14, 2023 and for the Environmental Performance Award, the assessment process will begin on September 17, 2023. We wish all the applicants best of success, and we hope that this award will motivate more individuals and entities to contribute to the environmental sustainability in UAE and beyond.” 

The Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Environmental Award aims to recognise and honour individuals and entities dedicated to protecting and preserving the environment, encouraging them to lead and excel while presenting innovative ideas for environmental conservation. It also supports scientists and specialized experts working towards finding effective environmental solutions and achieving sustainability.

The award includes three main categories and six sub-categories for nominees from the emirate of Abu Dhabi only. The first main category includes the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Medal, which will be awarded to successful individuals who have achieved excellence in the field of environmental work. This main category contains three sub-categories: ‘optimal natural resource user’; ‘environmental initiators’, and ‘environmental influencers.’

The second main category is the Environmental Research Award, which is dedicated to the best scientific research, either submitted individually or as a group, in the field of environment and sustainable development. This category includes two sub-categories: the ‘Environmental Research Institute’ and ‘Environmental Research Project’.

The third main category, the Environmental Performance Award, highlights the best practices or ground-breaking activities in the field of environment and sustainable development for private institutions and industrial facilities. Under this category, one sub-category targets industrial facilities, large private companies, the aviation sector, and others.

The EAD will celebrate the winners of the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Environmental Award for all three categories at a special ceremony during the COP28 period.