Gen. Sheikh Mohammed said: “The Zayed Future Energy Prize has become a beacon of light, stimulating thinkers and creators while encouraging the world to accelerate innovation in renewable energy and sustainability. This prize  is a clear manifestation of the vision of the late founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan — who placed a priority on investing in human capital and the preservation of our natural resources for generations to come.”

He added: “Encouraging these innovators allows us keep them motivated, and as such, ensures that our communities keep benefiting from their inventions. In light of the challenges facing the world today – be it energy security or safeguarding our natural resources. We congratulate the winners of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, and encourage them all to continue in their efforts towards the creation of innovative solutions – impacting communities around the world. These are the ambassadors of innovation, the ambassadors of our Prize — these are the people who spread hope and aspiration and encourage the next generation of innovators.”

The prize total of $3.5 million was awarded in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) category to the UK’s carbon disclosure project whilst India’s Orb Energy and Environmental Defence Fund of the US were first and second runners-up respectively in the same category.

Ashok Gadgil from the US won the Lifetime Achievement award while French company Schneider Electric received a Recognition Award in the Large Corporations category.

Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, director general of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, attributed the increasing growth of the prize to its agility and ability to adapt to the fast moving dynamic sector.