Call for Asian low carbon pioneers for two new Ashden Awards
Entries for the prestigious annual Ashden Awards, which highlight outstanding climate innovations, boosting bright ideas that can be scaled up or replicated around the world, have opened. Two new awards have been added to the awards categories: Ashden Award for energy access skills and Ashden Award for regenerative agriculture, with a deadline for applications of 17 March 2021.
Ecozen
Previous Ashden Award winner Ecozen is an Indian company specialising in portable solar cold rooms for farmers to preserve crops, which have thermal energy storage and work even in low sunlight. They can also provide an essential cooling facility for medicines and could become part of a coronavirus response. Having the skills to develop solutions like this is vital for a healthy and climate-safe future Ecozen info and video.
CEO Harriet Lamb said of the Award for skills in energy access: “While too many young people face unemployment or underemployment, new opportunities are opening for jobs in building the low carbon economy of the future. We know that renewable energy generates more jobs than fossil fuels. But we don’t have people being trained up with those skills to power the future economy. That’s why this Ashden Award is looking for exciting initiatives training people in green skills.”
Referring to the new Award for regenerative agriculture, she said: “Small scale farmers are the heart of the low carbon revolution. They grow our food and they often practice traditional techniques that help store carbon and protect the soil – in fact the techniques of the future. We are looking for those examples that can inspire others to follow their footsteps.”
Regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is sustainable farming that nourishes soil, boosts biodiversity and improves water management – it could bring enormous benefits to our climate, and to 500 million smallholder farmers around the world. It is a new theme in this year’s Ashden Awards. With such extensive traditional farming knowledge and skills in Asia, the award category of regenerative agriculture could be highly relevant to many Asian farmers. A Natural Climate Solutions Award is also open to South East Asian forest communities.
South East Asian rainforest communities can also apply for the Ashden Award for natural climate solutions. This Award will highlight initiatives in the Amazon, Congo Basin and South East Asian rainforest making forest communities more resilient, through improved livelihoods, inclusive business models or improved governance and land rights. It will also spotlight innovation in grassroots resistance, cultural preservation and support for young leaders.
Winners will be announced at the international climate summit COP26 being held in Glasgow, Scotland in November.
As well as a cash grant of up to £20,000, winning organisations receive development support, networking opportunities, and PR support (including a broadcast-quality film about their work).
Find our more or apply for an Ashden Award https://ashden.org/enter-2021-awards/
About Ashden
Ashden is a UK-based climate solutions charity with a mission to accelerate transformative climate innovations and build a more just world. Ashden helps tell the stories of climate and energy pioneers in the UK, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America. Since 2001, more than 236 ground-breaking organisations have won an Ashden Award, recognising their vital role in using innovative solutions to climate change, poverty alleviation and community resilience.
For further information, visit www.ashden.org
