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Friends of the Saltire Prize
24/09/2008
Four highly influential Americans with a track record in pursuing environmental issues have agreed to become the first 'Friends of the Saltire Prize'.
Energy Minister Jim Mather announced the names following a meeting with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who has put environmental issues at the top of his city's agenda.
Mayor Daley has agreed to become a 'Friend of the Saltire Prize'. The other inaugural 'Friends' are:
- John Fahey, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Geographic Society
- Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize winning economist and former Chairman of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers
- Robert Stavins, Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program and Co-Chair of the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements
'Friends of the Saltire Prize' have been invited personally by First Minister Alex Salmond to lend their support to the largest ever Government innovation prize - the £10 million Saltire Prize.
Those invited are distinguished individuals with a strong track record on environmental issues, particularly climate change, who will help raise awareness of the Prize.
Announcing the inaugural members, Mr Mather said:
"I am delighted that these high-profile and influential individuals are helping to raise awareness of the Saltire Prize and the Scottish Government's unique contribution to tackling climate change.
"We want - and expect - the Saltire Prize to galvanise Scottish and international scientists to push the frontiers of innovation in clean, green marine renewable energy.
"Having these globally-influential figures offering their support to the Saltire Prize is a tremendous boost to our efforts to put Scotland at the very heart of the battle against climate change by promoting collaboration and partnerships with scientists at home and across the world."
Mayor Richard M. Daley said:
"The past decade has seen a tremendous growth in the understanding of climate change and an understanding that we must all do our part to ensure a good quality of life for future generations.
"In Chicago we are all committed to working together to preserve and protect our valuable resources. We are an example of how a large city can live in harmony with its environment.
"New innovation is what will lead us in our ongoing efforts to preserve and protect our planet. We need to support private-sector innovation and encourage our governments to get involved. The Scottish Government is leading by example and has found a unique way to contribute by creating the largest ever innovation prize."
John Fahey, President of the National Geographic Society, which is working with the Scottish Government in the development of the Saltire Prize, said:
"We salute the Scottish people for their efforts to incentivise and inspire innovative approaches in the critical area of alternative energy. The Saltire Prize holds great promise for all of us, and we commend the Scottish Government for their commitment to making it a reality."
Professor Robert Stavins said:
"The great magnitude of the challenge of addressing global climate change indicates that significant carbon-friendly technological innovation will be essential if the nations of the world are to address successfully and at reasonable cost the threat of climate change.
"The information generated through technology innovation is freely available to others. As a result, the private sector inevitably under-invests in R&D. Therefore there is a pressing need for governments to support private-sector research and development of new carbon-friendly technologies.
"One of the best ways for this to happen is through the use of appropriately-structured innovation prizes. Here, Scotland is leading the way with the Saltire Prize, which promises to be the world's largest innovation prize for renewable energy."
Professor Joseph Stiglitz, former Chairman of President Clinton's CEA and noble-prizewinning economist said:
"We have to wean ourselves away from our high energy high carbon economy, to create a new economic model.
"Conservation and renewable energy will be central in this new economic model. But success in this will require innovation, and the best way of incentivising private sector innovation is through prizes.
"Scotland should be congratulated for the initiative which it is showing, providing a model which, hopefully, the rest of the world will follow."
The Scottish Government has created the opportunity to award one of the biggest international innovation prizes in history through its plans for the Saltire Prize - a £10 million challenge prize for advances in marine renewable energy.
The Prize will:
- be designed to advance marine renewables technology
- lead to leap-frog technology for Scottish, European and world benefit
- be open to application from both Scottish and international teams
- be demonstrated in Scotland
The Saltire Prize draws inspiration from great innovation prizes of the 20th century such as the Ansari X Prize that led to the first private spacecraft launch and, more recently the Virgin Earth Challenge which saw Richard Branson challenge scientists around the world to come up with a way to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
An expert committee has been created to help shape the Saltire Prize. Terry Garcia of the National Geographic Society and Anne Glover, Scotland's Chief Scientific Adviser, have already agreed to be members. Other members will be announced soon.
The international prize committee will define full details of the challenge and announce it during the St Andrew's Day celebrations.
Scotland's renewable energy potential could see it provide 25 per cent of Europe's wind power, 25 per cent of its tidal power and 10 per cent of the continent's wave power.