Africa: Awards launched to encourage use of sustainable energy

By Lilian Museka

A UK-based charity organization promoting green energy has set awards for organizations working to reduce environmental degradation.

The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, set up in 2001 to champion for practical local energy solutions that cut carbon, protect the environment, reduce poverty and improve people’s lives, will be looking for organizations that work to reduce carbon emissions and protect the local eco-system.

According to the organization’s Founder and Chair of the Ashden Awards Ms Sarah Butler- Sloss, they seek entries from inspirational and innovational local sustainable energy programmes from Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The awards to be presented in London in June 2011 will have six international winners receiving   US$20,000  each for programme development while the overall (Gold) winner will receive US$40,000 dollars.

Butler says their interest lies in African organizations working to reduce deforestation. “We look for schemes that are technically rigorous, have an element of innovation and make a difference to local people’s lives, both socially and economically,” she says.

Recent winners include biogas programmes building domestic and institutional digesters in Kenya, Vietnam, and India, micro hydro schemes bringing power to remote areas in Brazil and Peru, and business selling solar home systems and lanterns from Nicaragua to Africa and India.

The 2010 International Gold Award Winner was Dr. Light Design. While presenting the awards, world renowned TV broadcaster Sire David Attenborough said award winners are champions at delivering practical ways of protecting the planet and its precious biodiversity through the use of sustainable energy.