E+Co a finalist for Zayed Future Energy Prize
Abu Dhabi, 06.01.2011 - E+Co
E+Co, an implementer of multiple REEEP-funded projects, has been selected as one of six finalists for the prestigious Zayed Future Energy Prize which honors and rewards individuals, companies, or organizations that are tackling pressing energy issues. The winner, as well as two runners-up, will be announced in Abu Dhabi on January 18th during the World Future Energy Summit.
Inspired by the vision and environmental stewardship of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the United Arab Emirates, the prize recognizes and rewards outstanding work in renewable energy and sustainability. The goal of the annual prize is to educate and inspire future leaders and innovators to combat climate change and global warming, and ensure clean, livable environments for future generations. The awards program was launched in 2009.
Working from a total of 391 submissions from 69 countries, each submission was evaluated based on three key components - long-term vision, innovation and leadership. A shortlist of the top 100 candidates was narrowed to the following finalists, as well as E+Co:
- Amory B. Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, USA
- Barefoot College, the only fully solar electrified College in India
- First Solar, a solar modules manufacturer in Arizona, USA
- Terry Tamminen, CEO and Founder of 7 Generation Advisors
- Vestas, a Danish manufacturer of wind turbine technology
E+Co’s co-founder and CEO Christine Eibs Singer will be travelling to Abu Dhabi for the Awards gala, along with E+Co Board Member Daniel Abbasi, Director, Mission Point Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on clean energy and energy efficiency. Stated Eibs Singer, "E+Co is pleased and humbled to be considered for the Zayed Future Energy Prize, especially in light of the very strong list of candidates. E+Co's sixteen years of focus on 'clean energy enterprise' as the model for impact on climate change and energy poverty in developing countries has not wavered, and
we thank the Zayed Future Energy Prize Selection Committee for recognition of our work."
Stated Razan Al Mubarak, Managing Director, Emirates Wildlife Society, World Wide
Fund for Nature and Chairman of the Selection Committee: "We had a hard time selecting these six entries, the nature of the work of each candidate was exceptional...The jury will have a very tough choice as all six that we have selected have made a really significant contribution to renewable energy and sustainability."
The winner will receive US $1.5 million, with two runners-up receiving up to US $350,000 each. E+Co is a US based investor in small and growing clean energy enterprises in Africa, Asia and Latin America. With eight regional offices staffed locally, E+Co provides support and capital to enterprises for the purpose of reducing the impact of climate change and energy poverty. Since 1994, E+Co has made 268 investments in 20+ countries totaling US $40 million, bringing clean energy to 6.2 million people and reducing carbon emissions by 4.6 million tons.
Click here for more on the Zayed Future Energy Prize and its finalists.