Australian school finalist in global international sustainability prize

Lowanna College in Victoria has been named a Global High School finalist in the prestigious global sustainability award, the Zayed Sustainability Prize. The prize for the regional winner, Muntinlupa High School in the Philippines, is US$100 000.

Lowanna had proposed a broad student leadership program for sustainability through projects that are fun and engaging.  Projects included: wicking garden water reduction using recycled milk bottles as the reservoir, biodigester model, pellet mill, solar array, mushroom house, work farm shelter and a bicycle-powered smoothie maker. 

Student and teacher representatives were invited to travel to Abu Dhabi for the awarding ceremony on 14 January.

Originally established by the United Arab Emirates leadership as the Zayed Future Energy Prize in 2008, the Zayed Sustainability Prize is a global award inspired by the sustainability legacy of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The Prize awards US$600 000 for each of the categories: Energy, Water, Health and Food.  It also rewards high schools proposing sustainability education projects in these four areas. Winning high schools from different regions of the world are awarded US$100 000 each.

Business Outlook and Evaluation, a Melbourne-based company, is the Prize’s Outreach Partner in the Oceania region.  The company assists interested organisations and schools in preparing proposals, free of charge.

Culminating in an annual awards ceremony, held each January during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the Zayed Sustainability Prize invites pioneers from around the world to be part of a growing community of innovators, committed to developing impactful sustainability solutions and accelerating the development of projects that serve people across the world and for future generations to come.

The Prize is a significant vehicle for generating support and advocacy for the global sustainability agenda, recognising achievements in Health, Food, Energy, Water and Global High Schools. These five categories align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and reflect the most pressing sustainability challenges and offer the greatest socio-economic impact on the lives of people around the world.

The Prize was presented at the awarding ceremony on 14 January by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed congratulated the winners and praised their efforts and valuable contribution to support sustainable development. He encouraged them to keep up the good work to find innovative and sustainable solutions to address current and future global challenges.

“By identifying work across sectors that are the cornerstones to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the prize presents an unparalleled global platform for ideas that have the power to benefit humankind and our planet. Through the wider impact created in the areas of healthcare, food security, energy access, as well as water and sanitation, we are uniquely positioned to embolden and empower a new generation of pioneers to create exciting innovations that will change the lives of millions of underprivileged people around the world,” His Highness added.

Since awarding the prize for the first time in 2009, its winners have had a direct and indirect impact on the lives of more than 307 million people around the world and have been able to contribute significantly towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 1 billion tons. They have also saved 1.2 billion megawatts of clean energy, while expanding access to energy to 27.5 million people in some of the poorest communities in Africa and Asia.

More information at ZayedSustainabilityPrize.com or go to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.