Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s 2026 Planetary Health Awards

On Friday 16 October, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation brought together its governing bodies and partners to celebrate its 20th anniversary at its traditional Planetary Health Awards Ceremony.

Held in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, the evening brought together nearly 400 guests at the Salle des Étoiles of the Sporting Monte-Carlo to mark two decades of environmental action.

Opening the evening, the Sovereign Prince expressed his emotion and pride at the successes made over the years, emphasising:

« ... As I consider all the people who have enabled the Foundation to carry out more than eight hundred and titty projects over the past twenty years, sometimes in challenging circumstances, I must of course mention my teams. Their competence, dedication and enthusiasm are an endless source of energy and pride for me... From the heart of the Amazon to the corridors of the UN, from villages in the Sahel to the trading floors of major cities, every encounter confirmed to me that there are many more people with goodwill than we are led to believe... I am also grateful to the hundreds of thousands of volunteers, enthusiasts and activists across the globe who are protecting ecosystems, restoring habitats, monitoring species and supporting local communities. »

The Sovereign Prince  concluded with words from  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry who " wrote that “fraternity is forged through a shared commitment to something greater than oneself”. That is what we have experienced together for twenty years: a commitment to a cause that transcends us yet unites us; a collective hope that brings together women and men from a wide variety of backgrounds; and fraternity formed through shared aspirations and enduring friendships. I know this spirit will inspire us for the next twenty years... and beyond, we hope!”

The evening continued with the presentation of the Foundation’s 2026 Planetary Health Awards, which recognise each year individuals and organisations whose work and commitment help advance knowledge, develop solutions and strengthen collective action to protect the environment.

This year’s awards honoured Kenyan scientist Dr David Obura, a specialist in coral reefs; Swedish company CorPower Ocean, which is developing technology to generate electricity from wave energy; and Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, who has been working for over 15 years to defend the rights of Indigenous peoples and promote recognition of their knowledge in responses to climate change.

Accepting their awards from the Sovereign Prince, the three laureates expressed their gratitude and pride.

“My mission is simple: make our knowledge heard, protect our rights and ensure our people is not left behind. (…) This award is a responsibility to go further, for my people, for Indigenous people, for our planet, and for the generations to come.”
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, laureate in “Awareness” category

“I am so honoured to receive this award on science in relation to planetary health. It marks a transition from my past work on coral reefs – showing how we are still accelerating to a precipice of coral reef decline, though solutions are essentially known – to my present and future work on the understanding of how our economies and finance must be reconnected with nature’s limits and societal needs, not the other way around.”
Dr David Obura, laureate in the “Science” category

“Wave energy is a field where Europe leads. We have the opportunity to build a new homegrown industry, with sustainable jobs and clean, competitive power from our own coastlines. And we can build it in harmony with the oceans, protecting the sea life we share them with.”
Patrik Möller, CEO and Co-Founder of CorPower Ocean, laureate in the “Innovation and Solutions” category

Among the highlights of this special evening was an inspiring keynote address by “Her Deepness”, oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Society’s Explorer at Large, a dedicated advocate for our blue planet and a long-standing friend of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and his Foundation.

“Now is time like never before and maybe as never again, we must protect the ocean as if our lives depend on it; because it does. We are close to tipping the planetary boundaries until they will not recover but have the chance now to change the trajectory to tip in the right direction. With knowing there is caring and with caring there is hope that we can find an enduring place for ourselves within the natural living system”.
Dr Sylvia Earle

Several testimonials paid tribute to the Sovereign Prince’s leadership and sincere commitment to Planetary Health, as well as the Foundation’s impact on the ground over the past two decades, from its unwavering support for science and species conservation to fostering new generations and sustainable solutions.

The evening concluded with a large group photograph bringing together the Sovereign Prince, members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, its Scientific and Technical Committee, the Presidents of its international branches and the Foundation’s permanent staff, who work every day to fulfil its missions.

The 2026 Planetary Health Awards Laureates

Hindou OUMAROU IBRAHIM
“Awareness” category

Indigenous peoples are directly confronted with changes in their environment, but they also possess essential knowledge for understanding these changes and developing appropriate responses.

A member of the Mbororo pastoralist community in Chad, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim has worked for over 15 years to defend the rights of Indigenous peoples and promote recognition of their traditional ecological knowledge in responses to climate change.

As Founder of the Association of Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, she combines international advocacy with practical action on the ground. Her work includes participatory mapping projects focused on natural resources, which draw on the knowledge of local communities to improve understanding of environmental change.

From the Sahel to the international stage, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim has worked to secure recognition of the role of Indigenous peoples in climate change adaptation strategies and in protecting the ecosystems on which their communities depend.

CORPOWER OCEAN
“Innovation and Solutions” category

Harnessing the power of waves to generate renewable electricity on a large scale is the ambition driving CorPower Ocean. The Swedish company develops wave energy converters designed to capture wave energy efficiently while withstanding the most demanding ocean conditions. Its patented WaveSpring technology aims to support the transition of wave energy towards commercial-scale deployment.

In 2025, CorPower Ocean secured support from the European Union’s Innovation Fund for VianaWave, a 15 MW wave energy farm project off the coast of Portugal. The project is expected to comprise 45 converters and generate approximately 46 GWh of electricity per year.

Through this approach, CorPower Ocean is exploring the potential of a renewable resource that remains largely untapped, while contributing to the development of new solutions for the energy transition.

Dr David OBURA
“Science” category

Coral reefs are home to remarkable biodiversity and play an essential role for many communities that depend directly on marine ecosystems for their food and livelihoods.

For over 30 years, Kenyan marine ecologist Dr David Obura has studied coral reef biodiversity, resilience and vulnerability to climate change. His research also examines the consequences of reef degradation for the communities that depend on them.

Founder of CORDIO East Africa, he works to bring scientific knowledge, conservation and action closer together, from the local management of marine areas to major international biodiversity forums.

As Chair of IPBES since 2023, Dr David Obura has helped strengthen the role of scientific knowledge in international decision-making processes and improve understanding of the close links between the health of ecosystems and that of human societies.

©Philippe Fitte/FPA2
©Ed Wright/FPA2

« ... As I consider all the people who have enabled the Foundation to carry out more than eight hundred and titty projects over the past twenty years, sometimes in challenging circumstances, I must of course mention my teams. Their competence, dedication and enthusiasm are an endless source of energy and pride for me... From the heart of the Amazon to the corridors of the UN, from villages in the Sahel to the trading floors of major cities, every encounter confirmed to me that there are many more people with goodwill than we are led to believe... I am also grateful to the hundreds of thousands of volunteers, enthusiasts and activists across the globe who are protecting ecosystems, restoring habitats, monitoring species and supporting local communities. »