Beijing (People’s Daily) - Chicago-based think tank Paulson Institute and China's Tsinghua University on Wednesday announced the winners of the 2020 Paulson Prize for Sustainability, with the top prizes given to a battery recycling project and a wetland protection project.
Launched in 2013, the Paulson Prize is awarded annually to projects in China that provide an innovative, scalable, and market-based solution at the intersection of economics and the environment. This year’s award ceremony was held online against the backdrop of the pandemic.
The City Waste Battery Recycle and Reuse Project and Haikou Wetland Protection and Restoration Project won the prestigious annual awards in the Green Innovation and Nature Stewardship categories, respectively.
Photo provided by the Paulson Institute
"This award is designed to promote solutions that address the urgent challenges of ecological degradation and biodiversity loss,” said Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Chairman of the Paulson Institute and former US Treasury Secretary. “We want to inspire governments, businesses and citizens to be good stewards of nature by valuing and investing in the conservation and restoration of China’s natural heritage and chart a better course for our planet."
"Countries around the world are closely connected, and mankind shares a common destiny. Sustainable development remains a long and arduous task," said Chen Xu, Chairperson of the Tsinghua University Council. "It is of great significance that we hold this virtual award ceremony, which demonstrates our persistent efforts in sustainable development, and highlights the determination and actions of local governments, enterprises, institutions, and industry organizations to actively participate in sustainable development."
The waste dry battery project, run by GEM (Wuhan) Urban Mine Recycling Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd., utilizes innovative internet technology to build a full life-cycle value chain system of power battery collecting, cascade utilization, resource recycling, material processing, and power battery pack re-making.
The Haikou Wetland Protection and Restoration Project, managed by the Haikou Wetland Protection and Management Center, was awarded the inaugural Nature Stewardship category, which was created to elevate innovative projects that preserve and protect nature.
Since the start of the project, the wetland protection rate has increased from 16.01 percent to 55.53 percent because of the establishment of two national and five provincial wetland parks. Their efforts have resulted in wider swaths of protected Haikou's wetlands and preservation of local biodiversity.