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Former Norwegian Prime Minister is First Woman to Win Prestigious Zayed Future Energy Prize
Abu Dhabi, January 19, 2016 – Former Prime Minister of Norway, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, has today received the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award of the Zayed Future Energy Prize at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi. His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces awarded the prize to Dr. Brundtland for her lifelong dedication to furthering the cause of sustainability and her steadfast advocacy of sustainable development.
Accepting the award, Dr. Brundtland said: “I am greatly honoured and moved to be receiving this prestigious award from the Zayed Future Energy Prize. The legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is an inspiration to all who aspire to find solutions to the world's common challenges around the sustainable, equitable and secure access to energy and water.”
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Deputy Chair of The Elders and Vice Chair of the United Nations Foundation, is widely accepted as being the author of the concept of sustainable development. In this regard, she is recognised as a pioneer of modern economic development theory.
His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Director General of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, noted: “For thirty years, Dr. Brundtland has championed the approach to environment and development as one single issue. Her commitment to equitable human progress helped to ensure that energy access, water security, and clean technology became and remain central pillars of sustainable development. Ambitious aims like modern energy access for all by 2030, which is goal seven of the Sustainable Development Goals, may never have been conceived if not for her. This award recognises Dr. Brundtland for her foresight and vision in conceptualising sustainable development and for forging a path that ensures the world shares a common purpose around sustainability.”
Dr. Brundtland's achievements include inspiring the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations. The goals are intrinsically linked to the Zayed Future Energy Prize through a number of commitments, not least; achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, and taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Dr. Brundtland emphasised the importance of the SDGs and their inherent link to the prize: “What is significant about the SDGs is that they understand that poverty, access to energy, and climate change, do not happen in isolation. They are bound in many ways and therefore need a collective understand in order to meet their targets by 2030. The Zayed Future Energy Prize helps to recognise and empower those that are working across the globe to help end many of the challenges that have led to the SDGs being implemented. Moreover, the global community of past winners and finalist, that I am proud to join, are a movement helping to ensure sustainability remains at the core of development.”
The Zayed Future Energy Prize is the UAE's international award that recognises and empowers pioneers in renewable energy and sustainability. The prize is part of the UAEs vision and commitment to finding solutions that will meet the challenges of climate change, energy security and the environment.
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