The Global Challenge Institute today announced that the Katerva Challenge has begun identifying the most ingenious sustainability initiatives worldwide for its annual award, with the goal of shining a spotlight on those innovative processes by which we make the world sustainable by 2050.

Companies being identified include one organization that works to design mile wide turbines capable of harnessing wave energy from the Gulf Stream, and another that genetically modifies eucalyptus trees into super oxygen producers. While one man drives around in a car powered by water, another designs a recycling process for plastics and metals long thought incapable of being recycled. These ideas and ideas like them will be supported by the Katerva Challenge.

“We as a global society waited far too long to begin making a truly concerted efforts toward solving our world’s most wicked problems,” said Terry Waghorn, CEO of the Global Challenge Institute, organizers of the Katerva Challenge. “It is all too easy for some of us to forget about climate change, abject poverty, and the global game of chicken we play daily with our non-renewable resources. It’s time we recognize exceptional individuals and organizations working towards solutions. By holding the Katerva Challenge each year moving forward, we hope to encourage, accelerate, and reward those efforts that make the largest strides towards sustainability.”

The Katerva Challenge’s global spotter network identifies and nominates the most interesting sustainability efforts in the world. This network is made of global thought leaders, experts, CEOs, partner organizations, government heads, and others spanning across multiple industries. Katerva also provides thought leadership, financial support, and business tools necessary to help these initiatives grow and make an impact at a truly global level.

Once nominated, initiatives will be screened, researched, and sorted according to ten primary prize categories: behavioral change, poverty reduction, gender equality, economy, agriculture, forests, energy and power, construction, transportation, and materials. Public online voting and experts in each category will review finalists and select winners. Awards will comprise of category winners, an overall Katerva Sustainability Award, and a People’s Choice Award winner, and results will be announced on April 4, 2011 and April 18, 2011 respectively.

For more information about the Katerva Challenge, or to nominate an idea, please visit www.katerva.org.

About the Katerva Challenge and the Global Challenge Institute

The Katerva Challenge is an annual set of awards by the Global Challenge Institute for the best sustainability efforts in the world. The Challenge utilizes an extensive network of thought leaders and experts to identify and review programs based on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Vision 2050 report. Winners are those organizations and individuals making the greatest strides towards a sustainable planet.

The Global Challenge Institute (GCI) is a prize and research institute that designs and manages public competitions for the benefit of humanity.