
GreenWave – a US-based vertical ocean farming solution – has won the Sustainia Award. GreenWave’s revolutionary technology allows ocean farmers to produce 30 tons of sea vegetables and 250,000 shellfish per acre in a year while restoring ocean ecosystems. Sustainia handed over the Sustainia Award to Bren on Wednesday February 8, at Sustainia’s big Sustainia Living event at the Royal Danish Opera House in Copenhagen.
One of the Film4Climate Global Video Competition winning entries "Three Seconds" (1st Prize Short Film) was showcased at this Sustainia event.
Fed up with the unsustainable practices of the fishing industry, fisherman Bren Smith founded GreenWave just three and a half years ago on Long Island, New York, U.S. GreenWave relies on a new innovative system, which enables seaweed, scallops and mussels to grow on floating ropes, stacked above oyster and clam cages below. The system provides food, fertilizer, animal feed and sustainable biofuels, making ocean farmers the stewards of their local waters. Bren Smith now has 15 farms in development in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California.
GreenWave represents a readily scalable and replicable solution, which takes a triple bottom line approach – one that builds a blue-green economy, acts on climate change, and provides better food options – while addressing the global goals, making it a clear recipient for the Sustainia Award.
- Bren Smith, Executive Director and CEO of GreenWave
- Fereshteh Forough, Founder and CEO of Code to Inspire

Code to Inspire teaches Afghan women computer coding and empowers them to find employment or pursue entrepreneurial ventures. Photo Credits to Sustainia
Building the largest digital hub for sustainable solutions
The Sustainia Award came at a time of mounting interest amongst global leaders for solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, across all sectors. This is something Sustainia will consolidate over the coming year, including a partnership with the UN Global Compact and DNV GL to develop the Global Opportunity Explorer. The platform will provide a single access point to the world’s most innovative solutions, just a click away.
- Morten Nielsen, Chief Operating Officer of Sustainia
- Connie Hedegaard, the Sustainia Award Committee member and Chair of the KR Foundation
Find out more sustainable solutions at http://solutions.sustainia.me/
About Sustainia
Sustainia is an international sustainability think tank and consultancy working to accelerate action towards a sustainable future. In order to realize this, we partner with companies, cities, and organizations to map their position, navigate the changing landscape, and communicate with impact. Sustainia is founded by Scandinavian think tank Monday Morning and developed in close collaboration with UN Global Compact, Realdania, Regions20, Connect4Climate, and world-leading companies and organizations, DNV GL, Storebrand, and WWF.
About Sustainia100
Sustainia100 is an annual guide to 100 innovative sustainability solutions from around the world. The guide identifies readily available projects, initiatives and technologies at the forefront of sustainable innovation. It gives investors, business leaders, policy makers and consumers insights into promising solutions within their respective fields. The innovations are screened and selected by independent sustainability experts from 20 international research organizations including Yale University, WWF, Acumen, and Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The Sustainia100 publication is kindly sponsored by Realdania.
The Sustainia Award
The Sustainia Award and Community Award are given to a solution, technology or project with a significant potential to help build a more sustainable future. The Sustainia Award winner is selected by the Sustainia Award Committee, led by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and includes the Former European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, Lise Kingo. The Community Award is selected by a public vote.