With India leading the pack, emerging market nations formed the largest share of submissions for UAE's annual Zayed Future Energy Prize, the USD 4 million- award for innovative contributions to the future of energy and sustainable development.
The prize received the highest combined number of 1,437 submissions and nominations in its eight-year history when entries to the 2016 awards closed on June 30.
Led by India (67) and China (41), submissions from the Asia region rose 50 per cent over last year to 186.
In Africa, 102 submissions mark a 100 per cent increase, while submissions to Latin American nations increased 103 per cent to 241, with Mexico and Colombia responsible for 83 and 54 respectively.
A total of 888 submissions to the Large Corporation, Small and Medium Enterprise, Non-Profit Organisation and Global High Schools categories and 549 nominations for the Lifetime Achievement award were received from 97 countries worldwide.
The previous record was set in July 2014, when the 2015 prize registered 1,111 entries.
The global distribution of 2016 prize entries reflects rising investment in renewable energy in developing economies.
In 2014, China increased its share of USD 270.2 billion global renewable energy investment to 31 per cent.
India saw a 14 percent annual rise in investment to USD 7.4 billion, while Brazil increased its share from 2 to 3 percent.
The prize now embarks on the four-stage evaluation process that begins with due diligence by a research and analysis firm and culminates in a meeting of the prize jury to select the winner in each category.
The winners of the 2016 Zayed Future Energy Prize will be announced at the annual awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on January 18 next year during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, president of the Republic of Iceland and chair of the Zayed Future Energy Prize Jury, said: "The extraordinarily large number of submissions from all over the world demonstrates how the prize is now firmly established as the leading international honour for those who are shaping the energy landscape of our times and building a new foundation for the future of energy."
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE minister of state and director general of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, said the prize is contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future and has already touched the lives of more than 150 million people.
"This year's record number of entries and the steady growth over the last eight years demonstrates that the Zayed Future Energy Prize can help innovators in renewable energy and sustainability bring even more positive change to people's lives around the world," he said in a statement released by the UAE's official news agency Wam.
