Nobel Sustainability Award
An international organisation co-directed by Professor Erica Hinckson has been recognised with a prestigious Nobel Sustainability Trust Award.
The Global Observatory of Healthy and Sustainable Cities (GOHSC) was awarded in the category: Outstanding Research and Development for Intelligent and Sustainable Urban Solutions.
The Global Observatory of Healthy and Sustainable Cities (GOHSC) is a leading global source of evidence-based, open-source policy and spatial indicators, providing tools to benchmark and monitor progress towards healthy and sustainable cities. The GOHSC’s flagship initiative, the 1000 Cities Challenge, supports city teams comprised of policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and advocates to generate indicators, reports, and scorecards for their city.
Evidence based sustainable cities
The Global Observatory for Healthy and Sustainable Cities (GOHSC) applies open data and scientifically validated methods to measure how cities support health and sustainability. It delivers actionable insights at both neighbourhood and city levels, enabling comparable measurement worldwide. These indicators strengthen advocacy, evidence-informed decisions, and track progress on urban planning outcomes.
The multi-award-winning GOHSC is a collaborative initiative with more than 319 researchers and practitioners from 198 cities across 57 countries. Overseen by an Executive that has pioneered the study of healthy and sustainable cities, and has led two influential series in Lancet-family journals, the Observatory is an outcome of that.
Built on rigorous, evidence-based approaches, the GOHSC indicators measure what matters for healthy and sustainable cities—such as walkability, access to public space, food environments, public transport, urban heat vulnerability, and the quality of supportive policies. Working with global experts, new indicators are continually developed, supported by open-access software tools that remove barriers to information and empower local action.
After two decades of international research and collaborations, it was established in 2022, GOHSC promotes healthier, more sustainable urban environments through a global monitoring system that tracks progress and drives evidence-based solutions.
Accolades from the Nobel Sustainability Trust
Peter Nobel, Chairman of the Nobel Sustainability Trust, stated:
“On behalf of the Nobel Sustainability Trust, I am honored to celebrate the recipients of the 2025 Sustainability Awards. These awards recognize not only individual excellence but also the power of innovation and collaboration in shaping a sustainable future. At NST, our mission is to encourage solutions that reduce climate change, promote clean technologies, and create a life-sustaining environment for future generations.
“With the support of our partners, including the Technical University of Munich, we are proud to highlight achievements that inspire the world to act with urgency and responsibility. I warmly congratulate the award winners and thank them for their outstanding contributions. Their efforts are paving the way toward a future in which humanity can prosper in harmony with the planet.”
The power of collaboration for collective wellbeing
Professor Hinckson, who co-directs the Observatory with Dr Melanie Lowe from RMIT, says the recognition will help with the significant mission of this international network.
“It is an absolute privilege to see our Observatory recognised for uniting science, policy, and practice across continents. This recognition affirms the power of collaboration grounded in shared values.
“The Global Observatory for Healthy and Sustainable Cities reflects what can be achieved when researchers, policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and city teams work together for collective wellbeing. From Aotearoa New Zealand, we bring a vision of kaitiakitanga, caring for people and planet as one, into a global movement for healthier, more sustainable cities.”
The Observatory will share a total prize fund of up to 1.3 million Swedish Kronor (NZ$240K) with two other 2025 Nobel Sustainability Trust recipients.