Led by the Zayed Sustainability Prize
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-Thursday 19 December 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]
- Advancing global progress towards the UN SDGs, a range of technologies and solutions will be deployed to empower vulnerable communities in 20 countries, by the end of 2020
- Aiming to widen the global reach and accessibility of impactful sustainability solutions and innovations, the collaborative initiative builds on the UAE’s leading global role in humanitarianism and sustainability, and champions the values of inclusiveness and compassion outlined in the UAE’s Year of Tolerance
- Solutions and technologies being donated, were developed by Zayed Sustainability Prize winners and finalists across its Health, Food, Energy and Water categories
In support of
its ongoing encouragement for sustainable development around the world,
the Zayed Sustainability Prize has announced the launch of “20by2020” –
an impact-focused, global humanitarian initiative, implemented with key
support from Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Abu Dhabi Fund for
Development (ADFD), Mubadala Petroleum, Masdar and The Year of
Tolerance.
Building on
the UAE’s leading global role in international development, the
initiative aligns with and seeks to advance progress towards the UN
Sustainable Development Goals and is guided on its mission by the values
of inclusiveness and compassion advocated in the UAE’s Year of
Tolerance. This objective will be realised through the donation of
sustainable technologies and solutions to disadvantaged communities in
20 countries. Each solution or technology has already transformed other
communities around the world and has been recognised by the Zayed
Sustainability Prize as a winner or finalist.
Commenting on
the launch, H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and
Director General of the Prize, stated: “The ‘20by2020’ initiative is a
creative way to leverage the outcomes of the Zayed Sustainability Prize
for greater impact around the world. By drawing on the innovative
solutions created by Prize finalists and winners, many more people will
benefit and the legacy of our founding father, who was a committed
humanitarian and advocate for sustainable development, will be
honoured.”
H.E. Dr.
Sultan Al Jaber added: “We are pleased to collaborate with like-minded
organisations such as ADGM, ADFD, Masdar and Mubadala Petroleum, all
respected UAE entities who share the nation’s vision for affecting
positive transformation in vulnerable communities around the world. We
hope that the initiative will inspire others to join us in addressing
the most pressing global challenges.”
The first
phase of the initiative, which will primarily target ‘last mile’
communities located across 10 countries, has already begun. Solutions
that are being donated in this phase include solar suitcases developed
by ‘We Care Solar’ (2019 Prize Winner – Health Category) for health
facilities located in Nepal’s Bhojpur and Shankhuwasabha districts, and
the Minister's Village of Ntinda, Kampala in Uganda. 6,000 mothers and
babies in Nepal, and 12,000 mothers and babies in Uganda, are expected
to benefit from these deployments. Furthermore, a food dosifier
technology for the fortification of flour, developed by Sanku (2019
Prize Winner – Food Category) is being donated to Dar-es-Salam,
Tanzania, which is expected to help feed 50,000 people with nutritious
food every day.
H.E. Ahmed Al
Sayegh, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of ADGM, also commented on
the announcement, stating: “Abu Dhabi has been at the forefront of
global innovation and transformational developments that underpin UAE’s
strengths as a global business hub and sustainable economy. The
‘20by2020’ initiative is another excellent humanitarian and sustainable
development programme that leverages innovation to meet the urgent needs
and growth of the region.”
He added:
“This initiative resonates well with ADGM’s focus and lead on
sustainable finance, green financing, technology innovation and
commitment to national initiatives that bolster the UAE’s sustainability
agenda. As an International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, ADGM will
continue to advocate a vibrant and open financial ecosystem that
attracts new investments and facilitates greater flow of funds to
support impactful projects and development needs in the UAE and wider
MEA region. We are pleased to be part of ‘20by2020’.”
As part of
deployments’ first phase , the installation of solar street lights
developed by Sunna design (2018 Prize Winner – SME Category) is
currently happening outside of Prince Hamza Hospital in Amman, Jordan,
and the Habisha Village located in the Asyut Governate of Egypt. The
installation of these lighting solutions will be completed within three
months, and is expected to benefit 3,000 people in Jordan, and 3,500
people in Egypt daily. Among the other solutions set to be donated in
2020, are ‘Safe Water Cube’ fountains, a local filtration technology for
surface waters, developed by Agir Ensemble Association (2019 Prize
Finalist – Water Category). This solution will be installed in
Cambodia’s Preak Toal, Meat Khlar and Peak Kanteal villages, providing
access to clean water to 5,000 people daily. The water purifiers will
also be installed in Madagascar, to benefit 5,000 people.
H.E. Noura
bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development
and Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Year of Tolerance
said: “This initiative exemplifies the values of our Founder Sheikh
Zayed and his approach to build bridges of coexistence and peace with
global communities. Tolerance is a key value engrained in the UAE
identity; the country now has over 200 nationalities that coexist,
living together in peace and respect.”
Her
Excellency added: “The launch of 20by2020 at the end of The Year of
Tolerance reinforces our mandate to support sustainable initiatives that
impact future generations, especially that Tolerance, as a value, is
not timebound. By deploying these projects in multiple cities, the
initiative aims to respond to existing needs of these communities,
raising the standards of living and ultimately nurturing an environment
that respect humanity. We believe that this initiative will promote the
UAE model of Tolerance globally.”
HE Mohammed
Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, stated: “The dedicated
efforts of the UAE leadership, in the domain of international
development aid, have positioned the nation as one of the world's
largest Official Development Aid Donors, relative to national income.
Stemming from these directives, ADFD, to date, has financed crucial
sustainable development projects in 95 countries, to the tune of AED92
billion through concessionary loans, government grants, and investments.
Improving the livelihood for millions of people, ADFD-funded projects
support the outlined objectives of beneficiary countries and advance the
implementation of the UN SDGs. We commend the ‘20by2020’ initiative for
its inspiring and intelligent approach to tackling global development
challenges, and we have every confidence that in partnering with the
Zayed Sustainability Prize, ADFD will amplify the transformative impact
of the Prize, and bring its 48-year-track-record to bolster economic
self-reliance and prosperity in communities worldwide.”
During the
first quarter of 2020, Solar Home Systems developed by d.light (2013
Prize Winner – SME Category) will be donated to Indonesia, impacting
8,000 people through improved access to electricity which will drive
better health, education and economic activity. Similarly, Solar Home
Systems developed by the Bright Green Energy Foundation, which was
established by Dipal Barua (2009 Prize Winner – Lifetime Achievement
Category) will be donated to Bangladesh. This is expected to impact
3,000 people. Donations will also be made to Costa Rica, with more
information on the solution to be announced at a later stage.
The
initiative’s second phase is scheduled for completion before the end of
2020, with a further ten countries set to receive another range of
technologies and solutions. All the ‘20by2020’ donations combined, will
tackle four integral themes on the global sustainability agenda
including Health, Food, Energy and Water.
Dr Bakheet
Saeed Al Katheeri, CEO of Mubadala Petroleum, commented: “As Abu Dhabi’s
international upstream oil and gas company, we have always been
committed to contributing to the long-term, sustainable development of
communities where we operate – which is reflected in our
well-established, impactful and recognized community investment
initiatives. We are very pleased to be partnering with the Zayed
Sustainability Prize for the ‘20by2020’ humanitarian initiative, to
reach other vulnerable communities and bring real change to their lives.
Simultaneously, with the ‘20by2020’ initiative, we continue to globally
share the values of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed,
and of the Year of Tolerance in the UAE, while also supporting the UN’
Sustainable Development Goals.”
Since the
first awards ceremony, in 2009, over 318 million people have been
directly or indirectly impacted by the sustainability solutions and
school projects of the 76 Prize recipients.
Contacts
Laura Hobeiche
+971-58-8974564
