Nominations are now open for the Equator Prize 2015 which will honor 20 outstanding local and indigenous community initiatives that are reducing poverty, protecting nature and strengthening resilience in the face of climate change.

The theme of this cycle of the Equator Prize is ‘empowerment, rights, and partnerships for local climate action'. Emphasis is being placed on indigenous peoples and local communities that are:

• Protecting, restoring and sustainably managing forests
• Promoting sustainable agriculture and food security
• Advancing community-based adaptation to climate change
• Protecting and securing rights to communal lands, territories and natural resources
• Forging innovative partnerships for sustainable development

Nominations for the prize close on 27 May 2015. Each winning initiative will receive US$ 10,000 and be supported to participate in a series of policy dialogues and special events at the UNFCCC COP21 in Paris, France in December 2015.

Winning initiatives will join a prestigious network of 187 leading community-based organizations from 70 different countries that have been awarded the Equator Prize since 2002.

For more information, visit: http://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=889&Itemid=1093&lang=en