The 2021 list of academics includes candidates not only from North America and Western Europe, but also nominees from countries in Eastern Europe, including Hungary and Latvia, from the Middle East and from Africa — Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Jordan, Nigeria, Madagascar, Togo and Zimbabwe — and from Latin America — Mexico and Uruguay. Stringent rules and the highest academic standards have been upheld in the nomination process.
For the first time in the prize’s history, there are four women candidates – from India, Kazakhstan, the United States and Zimbabwe.
The largest number of applications this year came from Russia (24). The nominees represent not only scientific organisations from the capital of the country, but also the Volga Region and Siberia. The United States (21), Japan (5), Canada (4) and the UK (4) come next.
The prize’s expanded geography underscores its broadened prestige, stimulated by cooperation with the World Energy Council in London and active promotion of the U.N. sustainable development goals agenda.
An additional factor was the enhanced international stature of the Board of Trustees – its new members are the General Director of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa, Abel Didier Tella, as well as the former president of Uruguay, Julio Maria Sanguinetti Coirolo, and the founder of the London-Brussels group Influence, Peter Wilding.
Structuring the nominations, procedures.
Of the 106 nominations, 34 are devoted to conventional energy, 45 to non-conventional, and 27 to new ways of energy application, including a “management” subcategory.
This is in line with global energy trends and the International Energy Agency’s forecast of a boom in renewable energy sources in wealthy countries alongside still growing demand for fossil fuels in the Asia-Pacific region.
Independent experts will consider candidates, with criteria including “newness”, scientific and practical value and conformity with the norms of energy security. A short list of 15 candidates will be created on the basis of those receiving the highest average number of points in each category.
The short list will be considered by the International Committee, made up of 20 academics from 14 countries.
This year, a new tradition will be upheld by announcing the laureates in a Russian region. While last year the awards ceremony took place in Kaluga, this year the International Committee will hold its meeting during the Tatarstan Oil and Gas Forum in Kazan (6th-7thSeptember). The award presentations will take place during the Russian Energy Week International Forum in Moscow (13th -16th October).
The presentation of the 2020 prize (postponed by the pandemic) will take place in June in conjunction with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (2nd-5th June), organised by the Roscongress Foundation – an institution devoted to staging major events and exhibitions.
The Global Energy Association is a non-commercial organisation with headquarters in Moscow. Members of the Association include Gazprom, Surgutneftegas and Rosseti FGC UES.
