Climate charity Ashden has called for funders, investors and policymakers to step up support for proven climate solutions.
Speaking at the 2024 Ashden Awards ceremony, CEO Ashok Sinha said the winning organisations and their peers risked being “left in the wilderness” without more backing to scale up their work.
The line-up of winners revealed in London on Thursday, June 27, 2024, features businesses, social enterprises and charities, from the UK and Africa. Their achievements include bringing clean power to refugees in Uganda and older people in Northern England and restoring nature in the UK and Tanzania.
Sinha said their success proves it’s essential that action on social inequality and progress to a zero-carbon future go hand-in-hand.
He explained: “People in positions of power and influence should know: this stuff works. These are exactly the kind of innovations that we’re going to need to avert the climate catastrophe, but also make sure people are able to lead much more healthy and prosperous lives.”
The ceremony took place at London’s Institution of Engineering and Technology. It was a flagship event of London Climate Action Week.
Winning organisations are either delivering clean energy solutions or protecting and restoring nature. The Ashden Awards recognise inclusive solutions that deliver a wide range of benefits, from new jobs to community resilience, as well as lowering emissions.
The first Ashden Awards were given in 2000. Winners receive a grant and publicity, as well as connection to investors, policymakers, and other potential partners. They are chosen by panels of expert judges including academics, entrepreneurs, journalists and others.
This year’s winners included Uganda’s Patapia. The organisation offers affordable loans that help women in refugee camps buy solar products such as lights – and also use clean energy to launch their own business.
Co-founder, Geoffrey Omoding, said: “We’ve gotten more opportunities out of this than we would ever have thought. First of all, we are going to use the award to go on and finance more women entrepreneurs.
“I know that everyone at home is very proud of what we’ve been able to achieve. But this award doesn’t go to us. It goes to those women.”
The 2024 Ashden Awards winners include Energise Barnsley (UK), tepeo (UK), Wild Haweswater (UK), GOGO Electric (Uganda), Patapia (Uganda), Salpha Energy (Nigeria), and Ujamaa Community Resource Team (Tanzania).
