The MDPI Sustainability Foundation was honored to welcome all of the winners of its awards during the 10th World Sustainability Forum (WSF 2023) in Basel on 14 September 2023.

This global gathering brought together distinguished scholars from across the world in a groundbreaking 24-hour marathon of knowledge exchange that commenced in Singapore, continued in Basel, and culminated in Toronto. The event delved deep into critical sustainability topics, spanning from social engagement to innovative city development strategies.

World Sustainability Award 

The first-place award went to Prof. Dr. Michael R. Templeton from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London for his groundbreaking work providing "Sustainable Sanitation for All". He is the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Global Sanitation Technology and has conducted research and co-authored publications with partners in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, India and other countries.

Prof. Dr. Thomas P. Lyon from the Ross School of Business and the School of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan secured the second-place award for his enlightening presentation "Towards Corporate Sustainability: Transparency, Accountability, and Responsibility", broadening the concept of CSR to incorporate corporate political responsibility.

Dr. Krithi Karanth, from the Centre for Wildlife Studies in Bangalore, claimed the third-place award with her insightful presentation about "Living with Wildlife: Insights from 25 years of Science, Conservation, and Education in India". She has mentored over 250 young scientists from India, US, Chile, UK, Australia, Indonesia and engaged 750 citizen science volunteers in her research and conservation projects, helping to resolve conflict between wildlife and people.

Emerging Sustainability Leader Award

In addition to the World Sustainability Award, the WSF 2023 also shone a spotlight on emerging leaders in sustainability with the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA).

The winner of ESLA was carefully selected among three candidates who presented their excellent research during the award ceremony, by a distinguished committee comprising Dr. Lela Mélon, Academic Director of the Postgraduate Course in Sustainability Transition Management and Climate Emergency at ESCI-UPF, and Prof. Dr. Anet Režek Jambrak from the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology at the University of Zagreb, Croatia.

The first prize for the ESLA award was assigned to Dr. Youjin Kim (left), from the Catholic University of Korea and Jeon Buk National University, with her project, "Advancing Sustainability Across Three Pillars: An In-depth Exploration."