Sia Partners to manage Dubai award for sustainable urban development

Consulting firm Sia Partners has been tasked with managing a $1 million global sustainability award in conjunction with the Dubai Municipality and UN Habitat.

International management consultancy Sia Partners has been appointed to administer the Dubai International Best Practices Award for Sustainable Development, with $1 million worth of prizes to be issued to innovative sustainable development practices that have made a positive impact on urban environments. The 2020 award is held in partnership with Dubai Municipality and UN Habitat, and is now in its 25th year.

Established in 1995 by the late Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to promote the cross-border sharing of best practices in sustainable urban development, entries for the award’s 12th cycle are now open with submissions due before the end of next month. Winning entries will be awarded at this year’s Expo 2020 Dubai, with a ceremony to take place during the World Government Summit in late November.

Open to governments, NGOs, private sector companies, academic institutions, media entities, and individuals such as researchers, the award covers five separate categories; urban regeneration and public spaces; construction of sustainable, innovative and smart buildings; sustaining urban food systems; addressing climate change and reducing pollution; and urban infrastructure planning and management.

Winners from the 2017 cycle included entries from all over the world, with South Africa, Morocco, Mexico, the Philippines, India, and Switzerland among the countries represented. One prize for example went to an organisation in Nairobi which divided neighbourhoods into ‘courtyards’, with responsibility for the regeneration and maintenance of each space given to its youth and paid for by the residents.

“We want to attain quality achievements in the field of urban planning and build a sector that contributes in developing the community, building smart cities and establishing a framework to improve the quality of life for Dubai’s people,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on the announcement of the latest award cycle last year, with the current Dubai ruler and UAE Prime Minister continuing patronage.

The selection of Sia Partners to help manage the award follows shortly after the firm launched its visible corporate social responsibility initiative dubbed ‘Consulting for Good’, with a sustainability focus the first of four primary pillars. Here, the firm will seek to address topics such as global warming, green financing, public policy, biodiversity, and agriculture through its ‘Climate Analysis Lab for Good.’