RELX Group launches 2016 Environmental Challenge
London – The 2016 RELX Group Environmental Challenge has launched today, calling for innovative proposals to advance safe water and improved sanitation for at risk communities in developing countries. The winning projects will be announced in August 2016 at World Water Week in Stockholm. The first prize winner will be awarded $50,000 and the second prize winner will receive $25,000 in addition to a feature in Water Research, an official journal of the International Water Association. All applicants are offered access to relevant material on Elsevier’s ScienceDirect database, which contains 370,000 articles on environmental science, as well as RELX Group’s open source big data technology, known as HPCC Systems (High Performance Computing Cluster), to allow the processing of large amounts of research data.
According to the United Nations, 800m people are without safe drinking water, while 2.6bn people do not have adequate sanitation facilities. Poor access to safe water and sanitation contributes to health crises in many developing countries, and increasingly leads to violent conflict.
Short videos highlighting 2011 and 2015 winners demonstrate how the RELX Group Environmental Challenge brings real benefits to communities in need.
Dr Márcia Balisciano, RELX Group’s Director of Corporate Responsibility said: “As a global business, we must do our part to address the world’s most pressing issues. The RELX Group Environmental Challenge supports our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SD6 to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”
In 2016, RELX Group will continue to extend awareness of the Environmental Challenge through a media partnership with the Guardian Global Development Professionals Network, which gives those working and interested in the field access to related comment, analysis, news and events.
Applications that focus on improving access to safe water and/or sanitation where it is presently at risk should be submitted via the RELX Environmental Challenge website by 2 May 2016. Projects should be replicable, scalable and sustainable; set a benchmark for innovation; have practical applicability; address non-discrimination/equity of access; involve and impact a range of stakeholders; and have local/community-level engagement. Shortlisted candidates will be announced in June and invited to develop their proposals further. Shortlisted projects will be considered by a panel of international experts.
Notes to Editors
To learn more about the RELX Group Environmental Challenge, please visit http://www.relx.com/go/EC and follow us on Twitter @RE_EnvChallenge
Read about past winners here.
About RELX Group
RELX Group is a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs approximately 30,000 people of whom half are in North America. RELX PLC is a London listed holding company which owns 52.9% of RELX Group. RELX NV is an Amsterdam listed holding company which owns 47.1% of RELX Group. The shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX and RENX. The total market capitalisation is approximately 25bn GBP / 32bn Euro / 35bn USD
Media Contact
Emmy Stevens, RELX Group
+44 207 166 5512
emmy.stevens@relx.com