Twenty innovative organizations and their cutting-edge projects will be considered for the prestigious award this fall
Beijing—Today, the Paulson Institute and Tsinghua University announced the top twenty finalists for the 2020 Paulson Prizes for Sustainability. The Paulson Prize is awarded annually to projects in China that present innovative, scalable, and market-based solutions at the intersection of economics and the environment to address the globe’s most pressing environmental challenges. The twenty innovative projects will compete to win the coveted awards under the Green Innovation and the newly established Nature Stewardship categories.
Striking a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, including promoting a green recovery, is important in the post-pandemic world.
“The Paulson Prize highlights creativity and awards those who develop innovative solutions to sustainable and biodiversity challenges that can serve as a model in China and globally,” said Henry M. Paulson Jr., Chairman of the Paulson Institute and former US Treasury Secretary. “We are delighted with the high quality of submissions, which improve each year as addressing climate change becomes one of the top priorities in China and around the world.”
This year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of applications for the Paulson Prize reached an all-time high, up over 20 % from 22 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across China. This growth trajectory highlights the rising prestige of the Paulson Prize. Submissions came from diversified fields and categories, covering new infrastructure, new urbanization, green finance, sustainable supply chains, and with innovative models and mechanisms to protect and restore the natural ecosystem. In terms of geographical distribution, Guangdong, Beijing, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang comprised the top five province-level areas in terms of the number of submissions.
An independent Jury Committee, composed of prominent Chinese and American experts, will further inspect and evaluate the final short list of projects. The winners of the 2020 Paulson Prizes for Green Innovation and Nature Stewardship will be unveiled in late November. Learn more about the Paulson Prize.
List of Top 10 Nominations for the 2020 Paulson Prize (presented in alphabetical order in Chinese)
Green Innovation Category
The Green Innovation Prize awards solutions that improve the built environment to meet the significant challenges of urbanization and build a future of environmental sustainability and economic growth.
- City Waste Battery Recycle and Reuse
- By GEM (Wuhan) Urban Mine Recycling Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd.
- Birds and Beatles Educational Farm
- By Beijing Birds and Beatles Culture Communication Co., Ltd.
- Gaochun “Slow City”: Ecological Urbanization Model
- By Nanjing Gaochun District Construction Development Group Co., Ltd.
- “Ecological Chief”: A New Model of Urban Planning and Management in Nansha District, Guangzhou
- By Pearl Bay Development Authority of Guangzhou Nansha New Area
- Fintech Empowers Huzhou Bank for Green Finance Innovation
- By Bank of Huzhou Co., Ltd
- JD’s Green Stream Initiative: Building a Green Supply Chain for China’s E-Commerce Industry
- By JD Logistics
- Sustainable Agricultural Demonstration Project – Kimberley Farm
- By STRONG Technology (Qingdao) Co., Ltd
- Agricultural IoTs: A Smart Model for Livestock Industry
- By Beijing Nxin Technology Group Co., Ltd
- Eco-friendly New Material R&D and Industrialization Project
- By Suzhou Zhuma Yisheng New Material Technology Co., Ltd.
- Yangzhou Circular Economy Project
- By Yangzhou Urban Construction State-Owned Assets Holding (Group) Co., Ltd.
Nature Stewardship Category
The Nature Stewardship Prize is designed to attract and encourage solutions that improve the natural environment, to meet the urgent challenges of ecological degradation and biodiversity loss and to inspire people to live in harmony with nature.
- Action on Finless Porpoise Assisted Patrol for Yangtze River Great Conservation
- By Changjiang Conservation Foundation
- Ecological Conservation in the Headwaters of Yangtze River
- By Greenriver Environmental Protection Association
- Conservation and Restoration Case of Haizhu National Wetland Park in Guangzhou, Guangdong
- By Guangzhou Haizhu Wetland Public Education and Research Center
- Haikou Wetland Protection and Restoration Project
- By Haikou Wetland Protection and Management Center
- Innovative Model of Urban Development and Wetland Conservation in Changshu, Jiangsu Province
- By Nanjing University Ecological Research Institute of Changshu
- Pre-alert Project for Conserving National Coastal Wetlands
- By CrossBorder Environment Concern Association (CECA)
- Pioneering the Franchise System in Sanjiangyuan National Park- Namsei “Valley of the Cats” Nature Watch Project
- By SHANSHUI Conservation Center
- Civil Protected Areas
- By The Paradise International Foundation
- Forest Eco Bank Project of Shunchang County
- By Shunchang State-owned Forest Farm
- Yancheng Yellow Sea Wetland-Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I)
- By Yancheng Wetland and World Natural Heritage Conservation and Management Center
About the Paulson Institute
Founded in 2011 by former US Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr., the Paulson Institute is a non-partisan, independent, privately funded “think and do tank” not supported by or connected to any government. It is dedicated to fostering a US-China relationship that serves to maintain global order in a rapidly evolving world. Its focus on US-China is dictated by the reality that it is the most consequential bilateral relationship in the world. It operates at the intersection of economics, financial markets, and environmental protection by promoting market-based solutions to ensure green economic growth. The Paulson Institute is based in Chicago with offices in Washington and Beijing.
About Tsinghua University
Situated in the picturesque northwest suburb of Beijing, Tsinghua University ranks among the most prestigious universities in China dedicated to higher education and scientific and technological research. Its predecessor, Tsinghua School, was founded in 1911. Since that time, the University has shared the ups and downs of China and the whole nation. With the motto of “Self-Improvement and Good Morality”, the University believes in “Actions Rather Than Words”, encourages its students to be rigorous, industrious, pragmatic and innovative, and follows the tradition of “Patriotic Dedication and Pursuit of Excellence.” Its “constant progress” ethos and equal emphasis on Chinese and Western studies, on ancient and modern knowledge, and on liberal arts and natural sciences have profoundly shaped the growth of the University and have helped place it at the forefront of the academic world.
Media Contact:
Tina Ren, tren@paulsoninstitute.org