The AQUILA CAPITAL TRANSFORMATION AWARD

Aquila Capital is pleased to announce its second “Transformation Award”. Themed "Solving the Climate Crisis through Innovation", this year's research award is aimed at academic research that contributes to finding implementable solutions to mitigate climate change. Until 31 August 2021, scientists and researchers can apply for the award, which is endowed with 20,000 euros.

The expansion of renewable energies is usually the focus of discussion when governments and institutions outline their strategies for reducing emissions. However, other fields of innovation are needed to achieve the ambitious plan of a climate-neutral global economy by 2050. As Bill Gates pointed out in his recent publication "How to avoid a climate disaster," "we need to change the way we do almost everything."

Entitled "Solving the climate crisis by innovation", the award will recognise outstanding work that focuses on applicable and unconventional solutions to combat climate change in Europe. In addition to financial support for research, the research award focuses on cooperation in the practical implementation of the solutions.

The call for proposals is aimed at scientists worldwide whose work is directly related to the topics of sustainability, climate change and the energy transition with a geographical focus on Europe.

The top-class jury consisting of Prof. Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, Director Emeritus at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Prof. Eicke R. Weber, former director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, and Prof. Yukari Takamura, professor at the University of Tokyo's Institute for Future Initiatives, as well as Henrik Bohne and Cristina Asenjo from Aquila Capital, will determine the winners in a multi-stage selection process. The award ceremony takes place at the end of the year.

In 2020, the prize was awarded to Dr Galina Churkina, visiting lecturer at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The jury selected Ms Churkina's research on "Buildings as a global carbon sink" as the best from a high number of submissions from renowned universities and research institutions worldwide. According to the jury, Dr Churkina's work illustrates the importance and feasibility of replacing cement, steel and other building materials with wood in mid-rise urban buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the construction industry.