And the winner is...

Several Nobel family members, great grandchildren of Ludvig and Robert Nobel, set up the Nobel Charitable Trust (NCT), hoping to leverage the prestigious family name. The NCT has three main objectives – creation of an international award bearing the Nobel name to honor the most proactive at tackling climate change, holding of an alternative energy conference and the funding of scholarships in alternative energy development.

According to Gustav Nobel, one of the founders of NCT, the award would consist of a medal, a diploma and a small amount of money (at this stage). The recipients of the award would fall into four categories:

• scientists/institutions who "made important discoveries in the renewable energy field or whose
  discoveries could lead to the reduction in pollution and global warming"
• "corporate leaders or companies who have demonstrated successful efforts in finding new commercial solutions in the energy field in order to reduce the consumption of non-renewable energy
  and its resulting side-effects"
• politicians or "policy-makers who have distinguished themselves by implementing policy actions in order to reduce non-renewable energy consumption, pollution and warming of the earth's atmosphere"
• "public advocacy representatives" – celebrities – "who, by using their position as public figures and opinion leaders, substantially helped influence the public of the need for alternative and
  renewable energy sources, as well as encourage attempts at efforts in the reduction of global warming

A jury of "neutral" experts, distinguished in their fields, would be responsible for determining selection criteria and the selection of worthy candidates, and an eventual winner. Initially, the four Nobel family members and NCT founders may be involved in choosing the first members of the panel. The first medals may be presented as early as next year, according to the press release.

NCT will also indulge in organizing an annual energy conference, which may be called "The Ludvig Nobel Energy Conference". The focus would be on renewable energy, energy pollution and global warming, while participants would be major suppliers, consumers, scientists and legislators. The conference will deal with the future, instead of dealing with current issues. The location of the first conference will be Baku, Azerbaijan, but there are rumors it will also be the location of the first award giving ceremony.

The activities of the NCT are in no way connected to the activities of the Nobel Foundation, other than the fact the founders are members of the Nobel family. The NCT award will therefore not be a "Nobel Prize". The founders hope this effort will contribute to supporting the effort against global warming, and the search for new clean energy technologies.