Selection Criteria

Equator Prize 2012 winners will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Impact: Initiatives that have improved community wellbeing and local livelihoods through sustainable natural resource management and/or environmental conservation of land based and/or marine resources.
• Sustainability: Initiatives that can demonstrate enduring institutional, operational and financial sustainability over time.
• Innovation and Transferability: Initiatives demonstrating new approaches that overcome prevailing constraints and offer knowledge, experience and lessons of potential relevance to other communities.
• Leadership and Community Empowerment: Initiatives demonstrating leadership that has inspired action and change consistent with the vision of the Equator Initiative, including policy and/or institutional change, the empowerment of local people, and the community management of protected areas.
• Empowerment of Women and Social Inclusion: Initiatives that promote the equality and empowerment of women and/or marginalized groups.
• Resilience, Adaptability and Self-Sufficiency: Initiatives demonstrating adaptability to environmental, social and economic change, resilience in the face of external pressures, and improved capacity for local self-sufficiency.

Special Recognition Categories for the Equator Prize 2012

• Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Use, and/or Access and Benefit Sharing
• Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change
• Food Security, including Ecoagriculture
• Freshwater Management
• Management of Hazardous Chemicals and Waste
• Marie Aminata Khan Prize for Women's Empowerment
• Oceans and Coastal Management
• Sustainable Energy
• Sustainable Forest Management, including REDD+
• Sustainable Land Management in Drylands

Technical Advisory Committee

To complete the task of narrowing down the large number of nominations, the Equator Prize assembles a Technical Advisory Committee composed of leading environment and development practitioners. Nominations are reviewed in a two-part process.

In Phase 1, completed nominations are sorted by language, region, and area of work. Each nomination is independently evaluated and scored three times by different Technical Advisory Committee members with relevant skills and expertise according to the selection criteria. Scores are compiled and averaged through the online nomination system. The highest scoring nominations then advance to a second round of review and discussion at an in-person meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee.

During Phase 2, each nomination is reviewed and scored a second time, and a preliminary list of Equator Prize winners is identified. The preliminary winners then go through a verification process in which references and partner organizations are consulted to ensure their legitimacy.

The Technical Advisory Committee is chaired by Sarah Timpson. A list of Technical Advisory Committee members can be provided upon request.

For more information regarding the Technical Advisory Committee, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Equator Prize 2012 Jury

The Equator Prize 2012 Jury – a highly distinguished panel of leading international figures in sustainable development – will select 10 Equator Prize 2012 winners to receive special recognition.

For a list of past Equator Prize Jury members, please click here.