Deadline: 28-Feb-21
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2021 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity to recognize people, groups of people and/or organizations from all over the world whose contributions to mitigation and adaptation to climate change stand out for its novelty, innovation and impact.
This initiative strives to draw attention to and leverage large-scale climate action responses, helping to speed up the process of decarbonizing the global economy, protecting the people and natural systems from the severe effects associated to climate change and supporting sustainable development.
Objectives
More specifically, the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity has the following objectives:
- Award to actively contribute to the targets set in the Paris Agreement with the aim of keeping global warming below 1.5ºC.
- Contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030.
- To recognize people, organizations and initiatives of excellence in the area of climate change.
- To mobilize talent, attracting high-quality nominations.
- To emphasize both the impacts of climate change and potential solutions, mobilizing people, businesses and governments in tackling the climate crisis.
- To strengthen the role of local communities and international networks, by recognizing local climate solutions with great scale-up potential for global impact.
- To educate and empower for a more sustainable society.
- To mobilize more financial capital for climate solutions.
- To divulge, at a global level, the Foundation’s commitment to a low-carbon, more sustainable and more resilient society.
Prize Information
- The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, granted yearly, is worth 1 million euros.
Areas of Recognition
The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity will be focused on the recognition of accomplishments and contributions to solving the climate crisis for a minimum period of 5 years (2020-2024). Thereafter, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Board of Directors will announce whether the topic will be maintained or if a new area of recognition of great relevance to humankind will be launched.
In the present context, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation considers any potential recognition areas that can contribute to one or a number of the following outcomes:
- Mitigation: reduction or prevention of greenhouse gas emissions or the increased absorption of already emitted GHG. The mitigation actions require the use of new technologies, clean energy sources, industrial processing, reducing deforestation, reforestation or restoring terrestrial, marine and coastal natural ecosystems, improved methods of sustainable farming and land use, and changes in individual and collective behaviours.
- Adaptation: reducing the negative consequences of climate change by taking measures to prevent or minimize impacts that can no longer be avoided, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events and food insecurity, with actions that include technological measures, nature-based solutions and behavioural changes.
Eligibility Criteria
- Candidates may be a person, group of people and/or an organization, of any nationality, that is making a significant contribution to developing solutions to tackle the climate crisis, having to demonstrate the reach or potential reach of outstanding outcomes and provide tangible, highly relevant and material impact indicators.
- Eligible organizations include:
- Legal entities, public or private, profit-seeking or non-profit;
- International organizations;
- Universities and R&D institutions.
- The Award cannot be granted posthumously or to an organization after ceasing its activity.
Selection Criteria
The Jury will be responsible for selecting the nominations according to the following criteria:
- Innovation and/or demonstrate the potential for long term transformational change.
- Impact/ demonstrate benefits for environment &society/ be scalable with potential for long term impact.
- Inspiration/ ability to serve as a model/ to show active leadership or to inspire others.
The selection process is independent and will be conducted in three phases. Firstly, a Scientific Council will be responsible for preparing a consolidated list of eligible candidates. Secondly, a Jury composed of personalities of internationally recognized reputation in scientific, technological, political and cultural realms, will deliberate in order to identify the first 3 ranked nominations. The final decision will be taken by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Board of Trustees, based on the proposal presented by the Grand Jury. Appeals cannot be made against the decision taken by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Nominations
- Applications should be submitted through the nomination of third parties; self-nominations are not permitted.
- All nominations should be submitted in electronic format using the form available at their website until February 28th 2021, in accordance with the instructions provided.
- The Jury may request further information in addition to the documents submitted in the application page.
Winner’s Announcement
- The winner will be announced on July 20th, 2021 – Calouste Gulbenkian Day. If the evolution of the COVID19 pandemic allows, the Award Ceremony will also take place on July 20th, 2021 in the Foundation’s Grand Auditorium.
For more information, visit https://gulbenkian.pt/en/the-foundation/gulbenkian-prize-for-humanity/