UAE, India SMEs; Abu Dhabi, Pakistan schools among Zayed Sustainability Prize 2025 finalists

The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE's pioneering award for innovative solutions to global challenges, has announced this year's finalists following deliberation by its esteemed Jury.

The winners will be announced at the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony on 14th January 2025 as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize's Jury elected the 33 finalists from 5,980 entries received across six categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools – a 15% increase in submissions over last year.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President and Director-General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, highlighted that the finalists demonstrate exceptional innovation and impact.

"The Zayed Sustainability Prize continues to honour the enduring legacy of Sheikh Zayed, whose visionary leadership in sustainability and humanitarianism guides the UAE's mission to uplift livelihoods worldwide by fostering development in some of the most vulnerable regions.

This cycle, we received an unprecedented number of submissions, with notable participation from the Global South and youth. In fact, this year's submissions reflect the three megatrends shaping our future, namely the rise of the Global South, the pace of the energy transition and the growth of AI.

These changemakers are tackling urgent environmental challenges head-on, while simultaneously advancing economic progress through innovative solutions. By leveraging emerging technologies, such as AI, carbon capture and removal, tidal energy, precision agriculture, biomimicry, and climate analytics, they are addressing the needs of the moment while inspiring the next generation to innovate and drive sustainability in impactful ways."

Through the Prize's 117 winners to date, 11.35 million people have gained access to safe drinking water, 54 million homes have gained access to reliable energy, 3.6 million people have gained access to more nutritious food, and over 744,600 people have gained access to affordable healthcare.

Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chair of the Prize Jury, said, "This year's Prize finalists showcase the remarkable steps being taken around the world to address urgent needs with creativity and determination – offering a vision of a more sustainable future. From enhancing biodiversity and food security through innovative technology to providing critical energy and healthcare solutions for underserved populations, these pioneers are reshaping our world."

This year's Health finalists focused on delivering quality healthcare services to underserved and remote communities.

The Health finalists are:

• Periwinkle Technologies, an SME from India that deploys a portable, AI enabled cervical cancer screening device that provides results in 30 seconds.

• Rology, an SME from Egypt that has created a 24/7 AI-assisted teleradiology platform that integrates with hospital systems to ensure prompt and accurate diagnoses.

• Telemedan, an SME from Chad that deploys solar powered, internet-connected medical kiosks that provide affordable healthcare to people in remote communities.

Food finalists focused on empowering small-scale producers, promoting sustainable food preservation, and transforming arid land into productive farms.

The Food finalists are:

• ABALOBI, an NPO from South Africa that created a mobile app and marketplace that empowers small-scale fishers to log catches and sell directly to consumers.

• Nafarm Foods, an SME from Nigeria that develops scalable hybrid solar food dryers that preserve food and reduce CO2 emissions.

• Xinjiang Shawan Oasis Sustainable Development Institute, an NPO from China that specialises in solar powered smart greenhouses that transform desert land into farms.

Energy finalists are delivering solutions that improve energy efficiency and enhance access to clean energy and transportation.

The Energy finalists are:

• D-Olivette Global Enterprise, an SME from Nigeria that develops an IoT and AI assisted smart waste management solution that improves collection efficiency by 40%.

• Palki Motors Limited, an SME from Bangladesh that manufactures local, low-cost electric cars with solar powered battery swap stations.

• Turbulent, an SME from Belgium that develops cost-effective, eco-friendly vortex hydropower turbines with 60% efficiency.

Water finalists are implementing solutions that optimise water use and improve access to clean drinking water.

The Water finalists are:

• Elman Teknoloji Ltd, an SME from Türkey that employs sensors to optimise water use in irrigation and agriculture, cutting labour costs by 80%.

• High Atlas Foundation, an NPO from Morocco that provides a solar-powered water pumping system to optimise groundwater extraction.

• SkyJuice Foundation Inc., an NPO from Australia that develops low-cost, easy to deploy water filters that provide clean drinking water without the need for chemicals, pumps, or external energy sources.

Climate Action finalists focused on advancing carbon capture, ecosystem restoration, and building climate resilience.

The Climate Action finalists are:

• Distant Imagery, an SME from the UAE that specialises in the development of AI-powered drones for environmental monitoring, seed planting and habitat restoration.

• Hyera Inc., an SME from the USA that has developed a carbon capture process for removing pollutants from water by converting agricultural and forest waste into activated carbon.

• OpenMap Development Tanzania, an NPO from Tanzania that deploys a flood management solution that combines indigenous knowledge with geospatial data.

The Global High Schools' finalists presented project-based, student-led sustainability solutions, with finalists divided into six regions. The regional finalists include:

• The Americas: Centro de Estudios Tecnológicos del Mar 07, Mexico; Institución Educativa San Nicolás de Tolentino, Colombia; and Mulgrave School, Canada.

• Sub-Saharan Africa: Mpesa Foundation Academy, Kenya; Sakafia Islamic Senior High School, Ghana; and St Kizito High School Namugongo, Uganda.

• Middle East & North Africa: Benlahrech Said High School, Algeria; Merryland International School Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Obour STEM School, Egypt.

• Europe & Central Asia: Baku Modern Educational Complex, Azerbaijan; Gebze Bahçeehr Science & Technology High School, Türkey; and Presidential School in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

• South Asia: Faafu Atoll Education Centre, Maldives; Girls Higher Secondary School Khaplu, Pakistan; and Janamaitri Multiple Campus, Nepal.

East Asia & the Pacific: Beijing World Youth Academy, China; Te Pā o Rākaihautū, New Zealand; and Votualevu College, Fiji.

In the Health, Food, Energy, Water and Climate Action categories, each winner receives $1 million. Each of the six winning Global High Schools receives up to $150,000.

WAM