UNIDO ONE World Sustainability Awards 2025: An Opportunity for Cape Verde
Cape Verde, a resilient archipelago with a strong commitment to sustainable development, has a unique opportunity to shine at the UNIDO ONE 2025 World Sustainability Awards. These awards, promoted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), recognise and celebrate innovative and impactful initiatives that contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article explores the importance of these awards, their potential for Cape Verde and how Cape Verdean companies and organisations can participate and stand out.
What are the UNIDO ONE Global Sustainability Awards?
The UNIDO ONE World Sustainability Awards are a global platform for recognising and promoting innovative solutions that address the world's most pressing sustainability challenges. They aim to:
- Encouraging innovation and the adoption of sustainable practices.
- Recognising and celebrating leaders and organisations that are making a difference.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration between different stakeholders.
- Accelerating progress towards the SDGs.
The awards cover several categories, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, water management, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and social inclusion. UNIDO is looking for projects that demonstrate measurable impact, scalability and the potential for replication in other contexts.
Why are they important to Cape Verde?
For Cape Verde, the UNIDO ONE Global Sustainability Awards represent a crucial opportunity to:
- International visibility: Participation and recognition in the awards can increase Cape Verde's visibility as a leader in sustainability, attracting investment and partnerships.
- Access to finance: Winners and finalists can access funding opportunities and technical support from UNIDO and other partners.
- Knowledge sharing: Participation allows you to exchange knowledge and experiences with other sustainability leaders from around the world.
- Incentivising Innovation: The awards encourage Cape Verdean companies and organisations to develop and implement innovative solutions to local sustainability challenges.
- Alignment with the SDGs: Participation in the awards helps Cape Verde demonstrate its commitment to the SDGs and monitor progress towards these goals.
Examples of Cape Verdean Initiatives with Potential
Cape Verde already has several promising initiatives that could be candidates for the UNIDO ONE World Sustainability Awards. Some examples include:
- Renewable Energy Projects: The growing adoption of solar and wind energy in Cape Verde, with projects such as the Praia wind farm and the installation of solar panels on public buildings, demonstrates the country's commitment to clean energy.
- Water Management Initiatives: Given the scarcity of water in Cape Verde, desalination projects, rainwater harvesting and efficient water management in agriculture are crucial and can be recognised.
- Sustainable Agriculture Programmes: Initiatives that promote sustainable agricultural practices, such as organic farming and the use of soil conservation techniques, can contribute to food security and environmental protection.
- Circular Economy projects: Initiatives to recycle, reuse and reduce waste, such as transforming plastic waste into useful products, can be highlighted.
A specific example is the "Water for All" project on the island of Santiago, which aims to improve access to drinking water by building wells and implementing efficient irrigation systems. This project, with its focus on sustainability and social impact, could be a strong candidate for the awards.
How to participate and stand out
To maximise their chances of success in the UNIDO ONE Global Sustainability Awards, Cape Verdean companies and organisations should:
- Identify Impactful Projects: Select projects that demonstrate a measurable impact on the SDGs and that are innovative and scalable.
- Document the results: Collect data and evidence to demonstrate the impact of the project, including performance indicators and case studies.
- Tell the story of the project: Draw up a clear and concise application highlighting the project's objectives, activities, results and impact.
- Emphasising Innovation: Emphasise the innovative aspects of the project and how it differs from other similar initiatives.
- Demonstrate sustainability: Show how the project is sustainable in the long term, in environmental, economic and social terms.
It is crucial that applications are well structured, with clear and concise information, and that they demonstrate the positive impact of the project on the community and the environment. Collaboration with universities and research institutions can strengthen the application by providing additional data and analyses.
Conclusion
The UNIDO ONE 2025 World Sustainability Awards represent a valuable opportunity for Cape Verde to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable development and highlight its innovative initiatives. By participating and presenting impactful projects, Cape Verdean companies and organisations can increase their international visibility, access funding and share knowledge with other sustainability leaders. Cape Verde has the potential to become an example of success in implementing the SDGs, and the UNIDO ONE awards are an ideal platform
Apply or nominate a sustainability leader for the UNIDO ONE World Sustainability Awards 2025! Find out more and apply here: https://www.unido.org/oneworld-sustainability-awards
Deadline: 30-07-2025
