Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity- Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Published February 14, 2022 · Updated February 14, 2022

1. OBJECT
The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity aims 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.

More specifically, the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity has the following objectives:
1. Award to actively contribute to the targets set in the Paris Agreement with the aim of keeping global warming below 1.5ºC.
2. Contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030.
3. To recognize people, organizations and initiatives of excellence in the area of climate change.
4. To mobilize talent, attracting high quality nominations.
5. To emphasize of both the impacts of climate change and potential solutions, mobilizing people, businesses and
governments in tackling the climate crisis.
6. To strengthen the role of local communities and international networks, by recognizing local climate solutions with great scale up potential for global impact.
7. To educate and empower for a more sustainable society.
8. To mobilize more financial capital for climate solutions.
9. To divulge, at a global level, the Foundation’s commitment to a low-carbon, more sustainable and more resilient society.

2. AMOUNT
The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, granted yearly, is worth 1 million euros. In the event of more than one laureate being distinguished, the award will be equitably divided.
The prize should be used in a way that maximizes the invaluable contribution of the winning person/organization.
Accepting the prize, the winner will agree on a protocol with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in order to define the use of the monetary award and the communication of actions and activities related to the award.

3. AREAS OF RECOGNITION
The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity will be focused in the recognition of accomplishments and contributions to solve 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 behaviors.
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 behavioral changes.

Thus, potential contributions of excellence could include ways to accelerate the decarbrization of the economy and/or the resilience of ecosystems or social and political systems, such as: climate finance, land-use
management instruments, raising public and political awareness, boosting individual and institutional competencies, networks and partnerships with diverse actors from civil society, among others.

4. CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY
Candidates should be a person, group of people and/or an organization, of any nationality, that is making a significant contribution to develop solutions to tackle the climate crisis, having to demonstrate the reach or potential reach of outstanding outcomes and provide highly relevant evidence for impact in the future.

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.

5. 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 gulbenkian.pt, until March 15th, 2022, in accordance with the instructions provided.

The Jury may request further information in addition to the documents submitted in the application page.
For all details visit: https://gulbenkian.pt/en/the-foundation/gulbenkian-prize-for-humanity/

Nomination period – until March 15th 2022