A leader of sustainable energy in China was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award on Monday, 16 January 2017, at the Zayed Future Energy Prize.

Li Junfeng, director general of China’s National Centre of Climate Change Strategy Research, won the award, including a prize of USD 500,000 (AED 1.8 million).

His and the eight other awards were presented by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

The awards, worth AED 14.7m, were announced at the opening of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, with tens of thousands of policymakers, experts and six heads of state in attendance

As an outspoken opponent of coal and supporter of renewable energy, Mr Junfeng’s policies enabled China to become the world’s largest renewable energy investor in 2015.

Sheikh Mohammed said that the UAE would continue to be a leader in driving sustainable innovations across the globe, and that the prize sought to encourage others to lend a helping hand – a principle consistent with the country’s Year of Giving initiative.

“The legacy of our Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, has led our nation on a path to sustainable development and prosperity,” he said. “Through this prize, which bears his name, the UAE empowers others to embark on that same path.

“Today, we celebrate the success of this vision through improved access to energy, technology and water, which in turn presents opportunities for better education, health and employment for women, children and those in need.”

Other awards included the large corporation award won by General Electric of the US, the $1.5m prize for small and medium enterprises won by German renewable battery company Sonnen, and the $1.5m non-profit organisation award won by British charity Practical Action.

Christoph Ostermann, chief executive of Sonnen, said the company aimed to advance renewable energy in cost-effective ways by making consumers produce power and feed it back into the grid.

“From our point of view, the UAE is exactly on the right track, diversifying its energy needs,” Mr Ostermann said. “We believe that this is the main component in securing the future for the coming generations.”

Practical Action aims to empower people in developing countries to avert power cuts, teaching them how to install renewable energy sources where they live.

“It’s about creating opportunities for people and empowering them with technological solutions that are part of our goal,” said Paul Lomas, the charity’s international director.

In the global high schools category, five institutions each received $100,000 to further their efforts in teaching pupils about the importance of sustainability.

Starehe Girls’ Centre in Kenya was awarded for looking at ways to educate their peers and the community in how to harness clean energy and use it to help the country develop.

“With the prize money, we will be able to do so much more in the school – work on sustainable projects and educate the community around us,” said pupil Judy Wangui, 17.

The girls at the centre used a photovoltaic system on the rooftop to produce renewable energy and save enough money to enrol 10 more pupils at the school.

Officials say that nearly 300 million people have benefited from the achievements of prize winners since the award was established in 2008.

Projects honoured in the past have provided water and energy security in Africa and offset costs of global deforestation by curbing carbon emissions.

Dr Nawal Al Hosany, director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, said the award had grown significantly and was becoming recognised globally as the premier sustainability prize.

“We aspire to pioneer the sustainability and renewable energy projects from around the world and communities in every region that we touch through the prize,” Dr Al Hosany said.