Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, was recognised, on January 17, at the Zayed Future Energy Prize (ZFEP 2012) in the category of ‘Large Corporations’ for leading efforts in renewable energy and sustainability. General Sheikh Mohamad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, presented the award to Jean-Pascal Tricoire, President and CEO, Schneider Electric.

The fourth edition of the Prize was hosted on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit (WFES 2012) at the Emirates Palace Hotel, inAbu Dhabi. ZFEP also rewarded winners in the categories of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) & Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Lifetime Achievement awards for individuals who received a total prize fund of US$4 million which includes a $500,000 prize that will be awarded to High Schools in 2013.

Schneider Electric was recognized for its work on clean-tech projects, which transcended beyond the company’s core business. Such initiatives include BipBop, the company’s pioneering corporate social responsibility (CSR) program that is based on ‘Business, Innovation, and People at the Base of the Pyramid’ and aims to develop access to reliable, affordable and clean energy for poor countries with limited or no access to electricity.

Members of the jury panel of the Zayed Future Energy Prize present at the ceremony included His Excellency Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland; Ahmed Al Sayegh, Chairman of Masdar; Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation, and Timothy Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation and the Better World Fund. Panelists who were unable to attend included actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, Tennis Grand Slam champion and education advocate Andre Agassi, and Dr Susan Hockfield, President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).