Recently, the 2026 International Conference on Natural Resources and Planning was held at the University of Hong Kong. During the conference, the award ceremony of the International Award for Best Practices in Natural Resources and Planning (IABP Awards) took place, honoring outstanding completed projects with exemplary effects in relevant fields.
The IABP Awards represent the highest honor in the international field of natural resources and planning. Established by the International Association of Natural Resources (iAONR) with its organizing office located at the YUANYE AWARDS Urban Design Center, the awards aim to recognize and promote excellent practical cases that have made outstanding contributions in areas including resource recycling, climate resilience construction, green and low-carbon transition, ecological environment improvement, and urban renewal and revitalization. By setting benchmarks and examples, the awards lead industrial innovation and support the global journey toward a more resilient and sustainable future. The awards feature nine major categories, covering climate resilience, ecological restoration, green and low-carbon development, age-friendly design, heritage revitalization, urban renewal, rural revitalization, business environment optimization, and digital innovation. They are open to institutions and individuals worldwide, accepting applications for outstanding projects completed and implemented in the past five years.
Since its launch, this year’s IABP Awards have garnered extensive attention from the global industry, attracting enthusiastic inquiries and active submissions from numerous professional design institutions, research universities, enterprises, and individual practitioners both at home and abroad. This fully demonstrates the awards’ influence and appeal in the field of global sustainable development.
The judging panel consists of council members of iAONR, representatives from the co-organizer Global Designers Association, and specially invited judges of the YUANYE AWARDS. After intense competition, four projects, including the Taoxichuan Ceramic Cultural Industrial Park led by Professor Zhang Jie of Tsinghua University, were granted the Outstanding Award, 23 projects received the Excellence Award, and an additional 25 projects were honored with the Nominated Award.
In the future, the IABP Awards will serve as an international hallmark in the field of sustainable development, providing a broader platform for the display of outstanding global practical achievements, and promoting experience exchange and innovative cooperation within the industry.