RELEASE: Re Ciclo Wins Grand Prize in 2023 2024 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities

RELEASE: Re-Ciclo Wins Grand Prize in 2023-2024 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities

September 25, 2024

Press Release

Cities

NEW YORK, NY (September 25, 2024) - World Resources Institute (WRI) is proud to announce that Re-Ciclo, an innovative waste recycling project from Fortaleza, Brazil, has been awarded the grand prize for the 2023-2024 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities. The prestigious award, presented in New York City during Climate Week NYC, recognizes transformative urban projects that advance climate solutions and foster more sustainable and inclusive cities. Re-Ciclo was selected for its impactful approach to empowering and dignifying informal waste pickers, increasing recycling rates, and integrating sustainable transportation in Fortaleza.

Re-Ciclo was awarded the $250,000-grand prize by businessman and philanthropist Stephen M. Ross during a ceremony overlooking the East River in New York. "Recognizing successful urban initiatives and encouraging others to follow suit is essential for encouraging urban transformation," said Ross, CEO of Related Ross, Founder of Related Companies and Chairman of the independent Prize Jury. "This cycle's finalists demonstrate the leadership and innovation needed to guide the world toward a more sustainable future.

Led by the Fortaleza Science, Technology and Innovation Foundation (CITINOVA) and the city of Fortaleza, Re-Ciclo enhances recycling in a city that was struggling with poor solid waste management through door-to-door collection using specially designed electric cargo tricycles. The project transformed informal workers into city employees and established new infrastructure for waste collection and sorting. This has improved waste collection and notably increased social inclusion and economic opportunities for hundreds, while the use of electric vehicles supports the city's sustainable transportation goals.

"Cities are engines of transformation, playing a crucial role in unlocking the innovation needed to build a resilient future for billions of people," said Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO of WRI. "Re-Ciclo is a powerful example of how the most effective urban solutions tap into our creativity and resourcefulness to solve multiple problems at once. I believe this winning project will inspire others globally to develop replicable approaches that improve people's lives while fueling the just economic transition we need."

Luiz Alberto Saboia, President of CITINOVA noted: "This international recognition underscores the importance of Fortaleza's public policies on sustainability and climate crisis mitigation. The Re-Ciclo project not only advances environmental education and boosts recycling rates but also enhances the dignity of waste pickers, thereby improving the overall quality of life in the city. Our goal is to extend Re-Ciclo to every neighborhood in Fortaleza and inspire other cities to adopt similar practices."

"The Re-Ciclo team and all of the outstanding finalists show what's possible when passionate people believe in their cause and sustain their mission, even against steep odds," said Rogier van den Berg, Global Director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. "They prove that transformative change is not just a distant dream but a tangible reality."

The 2023-2024 cycle of the Prize attracted 200 applicants from 148 cities and 62 countries. It focused on the theme of "Accelerating Momentum for Climate-Ready Communities," identifying initiatives that address the magnitude and urgency of the climate crisis by expanding the speed, scope or scale of action to create inclusive, climate-ready cities.

Four runners-up received $25,000 each:

• Rodrigo Bueno: Climate-Resilient Housing (Buenos Aires, Argentina): A collaborative project improving housing and integration of an informal neighborhood with enhanced energy efficiency and local entrepreneurship.
• Kham River Restoration Initiative (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, India): An ecological restoration project revitalizing the Kham river, creating public spaces and renewing cultural values around the ecosystem.
• Green Community Schoolyards (New York City, United States): A community co-developed project transforming asphalt schoolyards into green spaces to enhance flood resilience and community engagement.
• The Climate Budget (Oslo, Norway): A pioneering project integrating greenhouse gas emissions tracking and reduction into the municipal budget process.

Jen Shin, Global Lead for the WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities, said: "Re-Ciclo exemplifies a just, equitable and people-centered solution driving profound change. Even alongside other excellent projects, we were deeply impressed by its demonstrated impacts and its potential for replication in other cities. It stood out as a beacon of transformation this year."

Re-Ciclo joins previous grand prize winners Todos al Parque (Barranquilla, Colombia); Sustainable Food Production for a Resilient Rosario (Rosario, Argentina); and School Area Road Safety and Improvements (SARSAI) (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania).

About World Resources Institute

WRI is a trusted partner for change. Using research-based approaches, we work globally and in focus countries to meet essential needs, protect and restore nature, stabilize the climate, and build resilient communities. Founded in 1982, WRI has over 2,000 staff worldwide, with country offices in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States, and regional offices in Africa and Europe. Learn more at WRI.org and on X @WorldResources.

About WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is World Resources Institute's program dedicated to shaping a future where cities work better for everyone. Together with partners around the world, we help create resilient, inclusive, low-carbon places that are better for people and the planet. Our network of more than 500 experts working from Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Netherlands, Mexico, Turkey and the United States combine research excellence with on-the-ground impact to make cities around the world better places to live. More information at wri.org/cities or on X @WRIRossCities.