The St Andrews Prize for the Environment focuses on sustainability, conservation, biodiversity stewardship and community development supporting a wide range of projects from around the world on diverse topics including sustainable development, urban re-generation, recycling, health, water and waste issues, renewable energy and community development. the prize has been a joint environmental initiative of the University of St Andrews in Scotland and ConocoPhillips. Submissions, which may be global or local, are judged on how they will socially and economically impact the communities in which they are based. After the 2019 sale of U.K. exploration and production assets, 2020 was ConocoPhillips’ last year of participation in the prize. Since its launch in 1998, the prize has attracted more than 5,850 global entries and donated over $2 million to environmental initiatives.
“ConocoPhillips is honored to have partnered with the University of St. Andrews in establishing and, then supporting the prize, for over 20 years. We wish the university continued success in sustaining the prize into the future,” said Andrew Roberts, ConocoPhillips Manager of Brand and Community Programs.
The 2020 winner of the St Andrews Prize for the Environment is Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), a program that integrates gorilla and community health programs. Founded on the belief that conserving wildlife must go hand-in-hand with supporting neighboring communities, CTPH uses a multi-faceted, scalable program. This includes training community volunteers to reach marginalized groups bordering Africa's protected areas with integrated health and conservation information and services. By applying a unique One Health approach, the initiative bridges, synergizes, and integrates efforts addressing three global priorities:
- Biodiversity conservation.
- Health.
- Economic development for local communities.
Previous Winners
2019
Saathi produces eco-friendly sanitary pads in India using agricultural waste from banana tree farmers as a raw material. The product 100% biodegradable and compostable and provides access to clean menstruation products to women living in rural areas.
2018
The Mountain Institute integrates 2,000 years of indigenous knowledge of water management in the Andes with contemporary science and technology to create hybrid solutions that improve water security, support livelihoods and increase ecosystem-wide resilience in mountain communities.
2017
Plantwise provides small farmers across the globe with the knowledge to mitigate crop losses from pests and disease.
2016
Liter of Light, Brazil, is a global open-source movement that provides sustainable lighting, free of charge to simple dwellings around the world
2015
The Wild Chimpanzee’s Foundation’s chimpanzee/landscape conservation project focuses on enhancing the survival of remaining wild chimpanzee populations and their habitat.
2014
Blue Ventures Conservation Madagascar provides a holistic approach to integrating community-based health services with local biodiversity conservation initiatives.