Apply for Equator Initiative and the Equator Prize 2020 (USD 10,000)

About the Equator Initiative and the Equator Prize

The Equator Initiative is a United Nations-led partnership that brings together governments, civil society, grassroots organizations, and businesses to foster resilient communities by recognizing and advancing local nature-based solutions for sustainable development. The Equator Initiative creates opportunities and platforms to share knowledge and good practices, develops capacities of local communities and indigenous peoples, informs policy through convening multi-stakeholder dialogues, and fosters enabling environments to replicate and scale up community action.

The Equator Prize 2020 will be awarded to outstanding local community and indigenous peoples initiatives that advance innovative nature-based solutions for sustainable development. The winners will join a prestigious network of 245 leading community-based organizations from 81 countries that have been awarded the Equator Prize since 2002. Each Equator Prize winner will receive USD 10,000 and will be supported to participate in a series of policy dialogues and special events during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France, in June 2020.

Equator Prize 2020 Theme: Nature for Life

This year’s Equator Prize will recognize innovative initiatives from local communities and indigenous peoples that demonstrate exceptional achievements in the area of nature-based solutions for local sustainable development. Winning initiatives will be honored for their successes in protecting, restoring and/or sustainably managing biodiversity for positive development outcomes. Thematic priorities include:

• Nature for Prosperity. Protection, restoration and/or sustainable management of terrestrial or marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and/or wildlife that enables sustainable and green livelihoods, enterprises and jobs; including indigenous economies.
• Nature for Water. Protection, restoration and/or sustainable management of ecosystems for water security.
• Nature for Climate. Protection, restoration and/or sustainable management of ecosystems that help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and/or help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change.

In addition, the activities of successful nominees should ideally deliver on several Sustainable Development Goals simultaneously. For example, initiatives may improve food security, reduce poverty and inequality, or provide access to clean water. Special consideration will be given to nominees working onecosystem intactness and integrity, advocacy for land and water rights, social and environmental justice, and gender equality.

Local nature-based solutions for sustainable development

The Equator Prize 2020 nomination process will offer community-based initiatives the opportunity to share their work on the Equator Initiative’sweb portal of local nature-based solutions for sustainable development. The platform connects communities around the world and shares local solutions that work for people and planet. Participation in this platform is optional when submitting nominations for the Equator Prize

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