FAQ
What are the World Clean Energy Awards?
The newly created World Clean Energy Awards recognize achievement and innovation in the integrated use of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Showcasing new standards in applied clean and renewable energy solutions, the inaugural celebration of 2007 marks what will be an annual event.
What are the objectives of the Awards?
The Awards' overall objectives are the mainstreaming and integration of clean and sustainable energy in all human activities. To this end, a best practice database will be created containing comprehensive files on all nominated projects. This database will illustrate practical and feasible examples in clean energy implementation and will remain continuously available to serve academic, business and governmental institutions.
Similar to other awards of prestige, the nomination itself is made to serve as an honoring of achievement in its own right. Each nominated project, its sponsors and nominators are encouraged to announce and celebrate their project-in-the-running through their own publications and websites (e.g. "Nominated for the World Clean Energy Award 2007 in the category of Policy and Lawmaking").
Who is granting the Awards?
The Transatlantic21 Association grants the Awards. It is funded by a group of individuals headed by Daniela Schlettwein-Gsell, M.D., of Basel. This Swiss association is an entirely independent body. Its activities involve the development and finance of the solar vessel "sun21" and the promotion of clean energy both internationally and throughout Switzerland. The Awards are timed to capitalize on public interest generated by the first solarboat crossing the Atlantic.
Who selects the winner?
The group of prominent jurors, below, contributed their evaluations in selecting each World Clean Energy Award winner. The members of the 2007 jury are profiled on this website and named below:
- Christopher Flavin, Director General, Worldwatch Institute (USA)
- Nicky Gavron, Deputy Mayor of London, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and "C40 - Large Cities Climate Leadership Group" (Great Britain)
- Ashok Khosla, CEO, TARAhaat, New Delhi (India)
- James Leape, Director General, WWF International (Switzerland)
- Amory B. Lovins, President Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Snowmass, Colorado (USA)
- André Schneider, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Economic Forum, (Switzerland)
- Klaus Töpfer, former UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) Secretary General (Germany)
- Ernst U. von Weizsäcker, Professor and Author (USA/Germany)
Who proposes the nominees?
Leading institutions in the field of Clean Energy are invited to nominate mainstreaming pioneers and role models using predefined criteria in seven categories. The wide reach of each institution's international networks and reputation ensures nomination of the best candidates in each field. The nominating institutions in 2007 are listed below:
- BASE / UNEP Collaborating Centre for Sustainable Energy Finance - (www.energy-base.org)
- Development Alternatives, New Delhi, India (www.devalt.org)
- ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, Toronto, Canada - (www.iclei.org)
- Novatlantis, ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich, Switzerland - (www.novatlantis.ch)
- Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Snowmass, Colorado, USA - (www.rmi.org)
- South-South-North International, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa - (www.southsouthnorth.org)
- Sun21, Basel, Switzerland - (www.sun21.ch)
- Worldwatch Institute, Washington D.C., USA - (www.worldwatch.org)
In which categories are the Awards granted?
The nominating institutions are asked to choose suitable nominees in the following seven categories:
- Construction (new, urban development, rehabilitation)
- Transport and Mobility
- Production (agriculture, mining, industry, utilities)
- Services, Trade and Marketing
- Finance and Investment
- Policy and Lawmaking
- NGOs and Initiatives
Which criteria are applied to evaluate the winner in each category?
Three main criteria apply:
1) Mainstreaming Clean Energy
2) Innovation for the broad use of Clean Energy
3) Leverage
The candidates we seek are drivers (personalities, decision makers, teams) of completed projects (or projects under-construction) providing the maximum aggregated impact under the criteria noted here.
What does mainstreaming Clean Energy mean?
"Mainstreaming" refers to moving from experimental and scientific research in cleaner energy technologies to broad and integrated use of these technologies. The World Clean Energy Awards' focus is on implementation projects which assist this aim and on cultivating a prestigious global platform for recognizing and encouraging continued advancement in the application of clean energy technologies.
What does innovation for the broad use of Clean Energy mean?
It means that the nominee (decision maker / team) has demonstrated new ways of thinking and practice in the broad and integrated use of energy efficiency/sufficiency or renewable energy.
Many people, our society and our planet should benefit directly or indirectly from the winning project's ideas and advancements.
What does Leverage mean?
This refers to increasing the use of clean energy in all fields of application.
Each winning project represents a best-practice example, which can serve as a role model for others and hold the potential for broad practical application within a short time frame. Therefore, only realized projects or projects under construction are considered for the World Clean Energy Awards.
Are there any financial benefits for the winners of the Awards?
Award winners will not receive direct financial benefits as part of the prize. Increased publicity and improved reputation will build momentum and broaden recognition for winners, their projects and nominees - ultimately providing indirect financial benefits:
- The Nominating Organizations and Jurors for the Awards comprise an internationally renowned group of institutions and experts in the energy field. Their commitment ensures that both nominees and the seven award winners receive lasting benefits from their participation in the Awards.
- Since the WCEAs and winning projects set new standards for applying clean and renewable energy solutions - moving from experimental and scientific research to integrated, broad use of these technologies - each project winner gains repute as a standard bearer in their realm of expertise.
- Additionally, all projects remain featured in the World Clean Energy Awards database for reference and promotion among industry, academic and governmental entities.
Can my project be proposed by myself or by somebody else for the Awards?
Only the nominating institutions are entitled to propose a nominee.
When does the Awards ceremony take place?
The 2007 winners will be announced on 15th June 2007 at the awards ceremony, which will be held at the 10th sun21 Energy Forum in Basel, Switzerland. The winners will be informed in advance and will be invited to the ceremony to receive their Award.
When will the nominees be announced to the public?
The 2007 nominees were announced on May 8, 2007 at an event that also marked "sun21's" arrival in New York City. All nominees can use the following weeks before the festive awards ceremony on June 15, 2007 in Basel to draw attention to their projects and receive their due recognition. (Serving as a shining example of innovation in action, the "sun21" is the first solar vessel to complete a transatlantic crossing without using a drop of oil.)
The official website of World Clean Energy Awards was launched on May 8, 2007 and will serve as a global online resource for best practice in mainstreaming clean energy.
Will the World Clean Energy Awards be continued in the years to come?
Though 2007 is the inaugural year of the World Clean Energy Awards, the program was developed as an ongoing honor of Clean Energy's most effective mainstream applications.
The Transatlantic21 Association will continue to promote the WCEA database along with the annual awards as global platforms for recognizing and encouraging continued advancement in the field. These awards will strive continually to set new standards for applied clean energy solutions with each successive ceremony.
What is the role of ecos in the World Clean Energy Awards?
ecos ag, Basel is the project manager of the World Clean Energy Awards and is acting on behalf of the Transatlantic21 Association.