Abu Dhabi, UAE, 28 May 2015

Melbourne Girls' College in Australia today launched the state-of-the-art renewable energy education centre that earned the school the 2015 Zayed Future Energy Prize in the Global High Schools category for the Oceania region.

The centre will integrate renewable energy into the school curriculum, displaying the benefits to students, the community and other schools. For example, a core component of the prize-winning project is a facility for students to generate and measure energy using specialised gym equipment.

A public launch event showcased the sustainable technologies adopted by Melbourne Girls' College through interactive demonstrations by students, speeches from Australian leaders and a message from Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize.

In the message to students and staff of Melbourne Girls' College, Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany said: "I want to congratulate everyone at Melbourne Girls' College on winning the 2015 Zayed Future Energy Prize. This is a great accomplishment and we wish you every success in implementing your project.

"As incubators of fresh ideas and talent, high schools have a key role to play in inspiring young people to become future clean energy leaders. Our goal through the prize is to support the international movement toward sustainable development by encouraging our existing and future winners to innovate, something that is desperately needed to address the energy challenges we face today."

Melbourne Girls' College featured at the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Forum in New York between 18 and 21 May, as a representative of the Zayed Future Energy Prize. The Global High Schools category was introduced as a commitment to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's SE4All initiative in 2012.

Speaking at the SE4All Forum, Melbourne Girls' College Student Environment Captain, Ruby Wynn Williams said: "The inspiration for our Zayed Future Energy Prize project was a desire to take renewable energy education to the next level. We want our project to be bold, visible and interactive."

Make Submissions and nominations for the 2016 Zayed Future Energy Prize online by 22 June 2015. For more information visit www.ZayedFutureEnergyPrize.com

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For further information, please contact:
Nicholas Lamptey                                                                             
nlamptey@apcoworldwide.com
+971 56 174 6577

About the Zayed Future Energy Prize:
The Zayed Future Energy Prize honours the environmental legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the US$4 million Zayed Future Energy Prize acknowledges outstanding achievements and innovative solutions in the fields of renewable energy and sustainability. Awards recognising organisations, individuals and schools across five categories are presented at an annual ceremony in Abu Dhabi. Collectively, Zayed Future Energy Prize winners are positively impacting the world through their vision and commitment in addressing the challenges of climate change, energy security and the environment. Submissions and nominations for the 2016 Zayed Future Energy Prize close on 22 June 2015. Visit www.ZayedFutureEnergyPrize.com

© Press Release 2015