The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2021 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity 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: 

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

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.

Prize Information

The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, granted yearly, is worth 1 million euros.

Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates may 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 tangible, highly relevant and material impact indicators.
• 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.

For more information, visit Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.