LONDON: Africa’s low carbon innovators are taking centre stage in London this week, following their success at the 2023 Ashden Awards on Tuesday (14 November). Four of the night’s five Global South winners were from or working in the continent. One of these received the Ashden Award for Outstanding Achievement.
This week winners will meet investors, policy makers and other climate innovators from around the world in the UK capital, making connections that help them to share and accelerate their climate innovations.
Dr Ashok Sinha, CEO of UK climate solutions charity Ashden, highlighted the financial barriers faced by climate innovators as he opened Tuesday’s ceremony at London’s Royal Geographical Society.
He said: “Internationally we are failing to deliver the $100 billion per annum minimum that we owe and have long promised to the Global South.”
“So thank goodness for the innovators like these Ashden Award winners. They are not waiting for government action, they are not waiting for an international agreement. They are forging ahead, powering up refugee camps, connecting business to clean energy, regenerating rainforests, employing people, improving people’s lives and livelihoods.
“They are building a better world day by day, community by community. They are the true pioneers, heroes of the new green economy, and we are here today to pay tribute to everything they have achieved.”
Winners from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and Cameroon were celebrated for driving radical progress in tackling the biggest climate challenges – working in clean energy, natural climate solutions and agriculture.
The awards honoured work supporting marginalised communities, and those at greatest risk from the climate crisis.
Winners included USAFI Green Energy in north west Kenya, which brings affordable clean energy and jobs to people living in Kakuma refugee camp, as well as the local community.
Another winner was CERAF-Nord, which supports communities in north Cameroon to restore degraded land through agroforestry and bee-keeping.
The importance of boosting jobs and skills was a key criteria in the awards. In the Powering Futures in Clean Energy category, Burasolutions Solar Academy in Nigeria was celebrated for training women and marginalised people to join the clean energy workforce.
Buradum Geteh, Founder and CEO of Burasolutions said: “We train about 300 young people in the clean energy space, many of whom have secured employment in other organisations and those with entrepreneurial spirit have secured business for themselves.
“Now we have a goal of training about 3,000 persons over the next five years, so we need technical partnership, advanced training and financial investment to grow what we do. Because we believe every day we train someone with a green skill, it moves us a step forward to achieving a cleaner and greener future for us all.”
The Ashden Award for Integrated Energy Africa was won by Power for All, for its Utilities 2.0 Twaake project in Uganda. Husk Power Systems received the Outstanding Achievement Award for its work rapidly expanding community solar minigrids in Africa and Asia.
Krsitina Skierka, CEO of Power for All, said: “We can now run businesses from devices we hold in our hands, but nearly a billion people don’t have access to energy, and there’s really no excuse for it. It’s not a technology problem it’s a human problem, so if humans are part of the problem we can also be part of the solution.
“Utilities 2.0 has shown that by working together humans can significantly change the rate of access to energy. Together we found that by combining c1entralized and decentraised energy, that businesses like minigrids and rooftop solar can work together with traditional electrical systems to accelerate connections, drive demand and improve an energy system’s performance, which means new connections, new consumers, get to actually enjoy greater benefits of that energy and in fact have a chance to change the world.
“But we can’t effect systems change on our own. It’s never dependent on one product, one policy, one person. It really is about partnership.”
Husk Power Systems won the Ashden Award for Outstanding Achievement for its exemplary work and vision. Its ambitious Sunshot Initative aims to benefit 7.7million people across the continent within five years. Husk’s clean energy minigrids support businesses, schools and hospitals, replacing polluting diesel generators.
Collectives for Integrated Livelihoods Initiatives (Clnl) was a winner from India. Clnl helps women in India’s Central Tribal Belt use clean energy to raise their incomes – and become leaders in their communities.
Ashden Award winners also included three organisations from the UK. All receive grants, global publicity, and connection to funders, investors and partners that can help them create even more impact.
Ashden Award winners and runners up included:
Winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award – Husk Power Systems – Nigeria
In Sub-Saharan Africa, solar minigrids are bringing clean power to communities that won’t see main grid connection for many years, if ever. The ambitious Sunshot Initative, a brainchild of Husk Power Systems, aims to benefit 7.7 million people across the continent within five years.
Ashden Award for Powering Futures in Clean Energy
– Building the workforce to energise the Global South Supported by LinkedIn
Burasolutions Solar Academy, Nigeria
Burasolutions Solar Academy in Nigeria boosts skills and pathways to work for women and marginalised people, with support for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Runner up: Fondazione ACRA – Senegal – supports marginalised women in rural Senegal to launch solar-powered businesses, with training and access to products and finance.
Ashden Award for Integrated Energy Africa
– Boosting the continent’s clean energy pioneers Supported by Integrate to Zero
WINNER – Power for All – Uganda
In Uganda, Power For All’s Utilities 2.0 Twaake project unites centralised and decentralised renewable energy companies to achieve faster and cheaper electrification, boost rural livelihoods, and end energy poverty.
Ashden Award for Powering Refugees and Displaced People
– Taking on the humanitarian energy crisis Award delivered in partnership with Global Refugee Network. Supported by NextEnergy Foundation, The Linbury Trust, JAC Trust, The Alan & Babette Sainsbury Charitable Fund.
WINNER – USAFI Green Energy – Kenya
USAFI Green manufactures and supplies affordable, low-carbon cookstoves in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp – creating work and improving health for displaced people and host communities.
Runner up – Care for Social Welfare International – Nigeria – uses clean energy to bring much-needed light and water to a camp for displaced people.
Ashden Award for Powering Agriculture
– Tackling hunger and poverty in the Global South Supported by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
WINNER – Collectives for Integrated Livelihoods Initiatives (CInI) – India
CInI helps women in India’s Central Tribal Belt use clean energy to raise their incomes – and become leaders in their communities.
Runner up: Mobility for Africa – Zimbabwe – provides transport for rural women through custom-built electric ‘hamba’ tricycles.
Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solutions
– Defending and empowering Indigenous communities Supported by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
WINNER – CERAF-NORD, Cameroon
CERAF-NORD supports communities around Benue National Park, and in the north of Cameroon, to restore degraded land through agroforestry and bee-keeping.
Runner up: ECA-Amarakaeri, Peru – supports people to earn a sustainable living and to monitor and report illegal logging and mining.
