Equator Prize 2022: Transforming our Economy and Relationship with Nature for Sustainable Development

This year’s Equator Prize will recognize innovative initiatives from Indigenous peoples and local communities that demonstrate exceptional achievements in nature-based solutions for local sustainable development. Winning initiatives will be honored for their successes in protecting, restoring, and/or sustainably managing nature for positive development outcomes. Thematic priorities include:

• Creating a planetary safety net. Protection, restoration, and/or sustainable management of ecosystems to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and/or support communities in adapting to the impacts of climate change. This includes actions to:
  • Protect and restore nature in order to safeguard water, food, carbon, livelihoods, and biodiversity
  • Safeguard Indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, territories, and resources, including through the use of cutting-edge technology 

• Redefining Our Relationship with Nature: Redefine our relationship with nature by putting nature at the heart of local development plans and policies, and by defending the rights of land and water defenders. This includes actions to:
  • Integrate Indigenous peoples and local communities’ concepts, traditional knowledge, vision, and value of nature into local and/or national development plans and policies
  • Defend land and water defenders, advocate for land and water rights, and promote social and environmental justice

• Creating a new green economy for people and planet. Protection, restoration and/or sustainable management of terrestrial or marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and/or wildlife that enables sustainable livelihoods, green enterprises, and jobs, including the promotion of Indigenous economies. This includes actions to:
  • Accelerate regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and sustainable fisheries
  • Ensure Indigenous peoples and local communities and their micro-, small-, and medium- green enterprises (MSMEs) at the heart of fair and inclusive sustainable supply chains
  • Develop sustainable commodity production and promote deforestation-free commodities
  • Support and strengthen Indigenous economies

Special consideration will be given to nominees working on ecosystem integrity and intactness, intergenerational equity, and gender equality.

Nominations must be submitted by 8 April 2022, through our online nomination system. If you are having technical issues, please contact us at prize@equatorinitiative.org. Learn more about the Equator Prize 2022, slection criteria and elegibility requirements here.