For the first time, the general public is invited to vote for the Katerva People's Choice Award for the best new innovative sustainability project making a positive impact to change our world. Voting is currently open on the Katerva website at www.katerva.org/vote/. Winners will be announced 30 January 2013.

The Katerva Award has been referred to as the Nobel Prize of Sustainability, highlighting the most innovative projects from around the world. This year marks the first time Katerva has opened up the process to the general public with a People's Choice Award. Katerva's network of experts from around the globe have spent the better part of a year evaluating projects in each of ten categories. Five projects in each category have been retained as Finalists for the 2012 Katerva Award (due to a tie, 51 Finalists).

Top projects in each category are listed here:

Food Security: International Development Enterprises India, The GROW BIOINTENSIVE Agriculture Center of Kenya, Future of Fish, The Savory Institute, Backpack Farm
Behavioral Change: The Humblefactory, StatSilk, C-Change, Foldit, SHFT.com, Eco-Household Training (6 Finalists in this category, due to a tie)
Economy: LanX and Local Capital Markets, Solidarium, Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, AMEE, WaterCredit
Ecosystem Conservation: Amazon Conservation Team, Blue Ventures, Forest Trends, Liquid Robotics, Reef Check Foundation
Gender Equality: Womankind Worldwide, VOICE 4 Girls, The Gender Equality Project Foundation, Embrace, Safe World for Women
Materials & Resources: The Water Initiative, Pasteurization Technology Group, Nano Ganesh, MIT SENSEable City Lab Forage Tracking, WikiCell Designs
Human Development: Sino-implant (II), Holomic LLC, Bioneedle Technologies Group, Asthmapolis, EyeNETRA
Energy & Power: Eco Fuel Africa, A Liter of Light, Center for Rice Husk Energy Technology, Liquid Metal Battery Corporation, Gram Power
Transportation: Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System, Kenguru, Streetline, Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3), YikeBike
Urban Design: The Living Building Challenge, Kéré Architecture, AguaClara, 5 Stone Green Capital LLC, ¡Echale! a tu casa

"To solve the complex sustainability challenges we face as stewards of our planet, will require innovative solutions across a wide range of disciplines and economic sectors. Katerva provides a much needed and novel forum for this to happen, as evidenced by the innovation and entrepreneurship embodied by this year's 51 Finalists for the Katerva Award," states Antonio J. Busalacchi, Jr, Director of the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) and Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at the University of Maryland, USA.

From these 51 Finalists, one Katerva Award Winner will be selected and supported by members of the Winner's Circle, a group of businesses and committed experts, in order to enable the winning project to achieve maximum impact. The Katerva Award Winner and the Category Winners will be announced on 30 January 2013. For information on all of the projects, see the Katerva website, www.katerva.org.

Katerva comes from the Latin word caterva, meaning “crowd.” It's our belief that the wisdom of the crowd—organized, holds the key to the world's most pressing challenges. For more information, see www.katerva.org.

Katerva

Katerva

Katerva (Katerva.net) identifies and awards the world's best sustainability ideas and initiatives. The Katerva Awards celebrate radical innovation and accelerate change for a sustainable planet.

Katerva has built an extensive content platform and network focused on the intersection between sustainability and innovation. Its website offers a constant feed of nominee and awards information, commentary on sustainability news, and expert insights and opinions. Katerva has a prestigious global network of sustainability innovator experts, thought leaders and partner organizations that identify, review and award those sustainability innovations making the greatest strides towards a sustainable planet. As well, it is building a social media following so that it may tap into the insights and ideas of the public.

The Katerva Sustainability Awards are bestowed annually according to 10 categories across the social, economic and environmental sustainability spectrum. Those categories are Behavioral Change, Human Development, Gender Equality, Economy, Food Security, Protected Areas, Energy & Power, Urban Design, Transportation, and Materials & Resources.

Following announcement of the 10 category winners in the 4th quarter of the year, a council of high-profile sustainability thought leaders will review the winners and select a grand prize winner. At the same time, an online vote of the general public will select a people's choice winner.

Go to Katerva.net to find out about the world's best, game-changing sustainability ideas and efforts. Keep up with Katerva news on your favorite social networks at Facebook.com/Katerva and Twitter.com/Katerva.

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