Ashden International Awards in Sustainable Energy 2020 for Developing Countries

If your organisation is a champion of local, sustainable energy, then register your interest in applying for a 2020 Ashden International Award by filling out the form (below). 

Application Deadline: 11th December 2019 at 11.59pm GMT.

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Developing countries

To be taken at (country): London, UK

About the Award: World’s leading green energy awards, seeks to reward innovative enterprises and programmes that deliver, or play a key part in enabling the delivery of sustainable energy systems and through this bring social, economic and environmental benefits.

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In 2020 we will be awarding those working to rapidly decarbonise our world, whilst improving lives. We will be looking for those working on solutions to the climate emergency, through new products, services and behaviour change. When completing your application please indicate the specific category/categories you feel are most relevant to your work. We will consider your application in categories other than the ones you have indicated if we feel they fit your work more closely.

What is Ashden looking for this year?

• Sustainable Cities and Buildings: This award will highlight organisations working in the built environment that are responding to the climate emergency and the lack of sufficient housing, through retrofitting buildings and developing zero carbon buildings, infrastructure and public spaces.
• Sustainable Mobility: Developing urban areas suffer from excessive pollution and lack of access to transport, resulting in harm to health and reduced opportunities for work, education and leisure. This award will highlight organisations using sustainable mobility to decarbonise and provide access to safe, affordable transport.
• System Innovation: Systemic change for energy access is needed if we are to achieve SDG7. This award will highlight innovation needed to achieve pace and scale of change, including the hardest to reach. We are seeking initiatives focusing on sustainable energy policy, planning and finance and work which takes an integrated, collaborative approach.
• Humanitarian Energy: 131m people need humanitarian assistance today. Access to clean, reliable energy is a fundamental human need, yet provision in humanitarian settings are severely lacking. This award seeks to highlight innovations in distribution, finance and delivery which is increasing energy access.
• Natural Climate Solutions: An award highlighting the role of natural systems in capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to changes in land-use, whilst enhancing resilience and protecting people’s livelihoods.
• Cooling: The need for cooling, for people and food, medicines is growing rapidly as the world heats. There is an urgent need to develop and deploy climate-friendly, affordable and efficient cooling solutions. The specific scope of this award is still to be defined but will focus on innovation within this area.
• Livelihoods: This award seeks examples of ‘productive’ uses of sustainable energy that improves people’s ability to earn a living and meet their subsistence needs.

Type: Entrepreneurship, Contest

Who can apply for an Ashden International Award?

• Businesses, NGOs, social enterprises and government organisations are all eligible.
• The work must be delivered in at least one of the UN’s developing regions of Africa, Caribbean, Central America, South America, Asia (excluding Japan) and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) and can be in rural or urban areas. High-income countries in these regions, as defined by the World Bank, are not eligible to apply

What happens if you win an Award As an Ashden Award winner? You will:

• Be invited to London at Ashden’s expense to take part in the Awards Ceremony as well as other events during that week. Winning an Ashden Award is contingent on taking part in Awards Week activities.
• Participate in media interviews that we may be able to arrange.
• Agree with Ashden what you will spend the prize fund on and any business support you may receive.
• Provide and update monitoring data about the progress of your work after one year, two years and three years

Number of Awardees: 10

Value of Contest: 

• The winners will receive prize funds of £20,000 each
• As well as this cash fund, winning an Ashden Award brings many other benefits, such as:
  • Local, national and international publicity, through the work of our specialist media team.
  • Support to grow or replicate your work: this can include professional mentoring, training and introductions to investment and other finance providers.
  • Opportunities to present your work to large and influential audiences at the Ashden Awards Ceremony, International Conference and other Ashden events.
  • Membership of the Ashden Alumni network of Ashden Award-winners, which facilitates opportunities to create productive partnerships and learning.
  • The acclaim of winning a prestigious Ashden Award. Our application and assessment process is known for being rigorous.

How to Apply: Apply here

Visit Contest Webpage for details