The Paulson Institute, in partnership with Tsinghua University, recently announced that applications for the 2024 Paulson Prize for Sustainability are now being accepted through June 30. The prize encourages entities, including businesses, institutions, social organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to submit projects demonstrating ingenuity and leadership in sustainable development.

"There is no more critical time than now to recognize solutions that will heal our planet," said Deborah Lehr, vice chairman and executive director of the Paulson Institute. "Through the prize, we look forward to continuing to support sustainable innovation with all of our partners and innovators."

At the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) held in Dubai in December 2023, a global stocktaking of climate action since the signing of the Paris Agreement was conducted for the first time. The conference called on countries to expand climate financing, transition to renewable energy, and promote synergies between climate actions and biodiversity conservation. Against the backdrop of worsening climate change and declining biodiversity, the pressing global need for innovative and transformative sustainable ideas calls for pragmatic actions.

Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, stressed that climate change and biodiversity loss are two major global problems facing humanity: "We must reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality through green innovation to combat climate change, while protecting and restoring biodiversity to achieve harmony between man and nature."

Zhuang Weimin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, professor at the School of Architecture, and chief architect of the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University, echoed Yang's opinion: "In the past 10 years, the Paulson Prize has attracted transformative solutions in tackling climate change, including projects in strategic emerging industries. These green innovations, which have been tested in China, can serve as examples for the rest of the world."

Initiated in 2013, the prize presents awards in two categories — Green Innovation and Nature Stewardship — recognizing pioneering, sustainable projects in built environments and nature conservation. The prestigious prize is awarded annually to projects in China that present creative, scalable, and sustainable solutions to address the most pressing challenges in climate change and biodiversity.

Project applications can be submitted at PaulsonInstitute.org/prize.