Press Release
Pioneering projects from India, Eritrea and the UK are the winners of
Ashden's "Green Oscars"
- Himalayan solar project takes International Community Welfare Award
- Eritrean Stove Production Fired-Up with International Food Security Award
- Solar Island, India Lit-Up with International Enterprise Award
- Windfall for Welsh Farmers as Wind Farm takes UK Prize
Runners-up from Peru, Nicaragua, India and the UK (x2) are presented with
over £35,000 worth of prize money
London - 19.06.03 - The winners and runners-up of the prestigious
Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy 2003 were announced yesterday
evening at the Ashden Trust annual awards ceremony in London, where
finalists competed for £150,000 worth of prize money.
The Awards, hosted by Jonathan Dimbleby, saw finalists gather at the
Natural History Museum’s Darwin Centre, with guest speakers Lord Whitty,
UK Minister for Farming, Food and Sustainable Energy and Jonathon Porritt,
Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission.
Now in their third year, the Awards recognise and reward inspirational
renewable energy projects which provide social and economic benefits for
their local communities whilst protecting the environment. This year saw the
introduction of a UK category alongside three developing nations categories
of Enterprise, Community Welfare and Food Security.
Winners in each category receive £30,000 towards development of their
programme. Runners – up also receive £7,500 each. The prizes were
presented by Lord Whitty. International category winners and runners-up will
also be congratulated by His Royal Highness Prince of Wales at a
separate private ceremony on Friday 20th June 2003. Photos will be available
at: http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners_2003_HRH.html
Lord Whitty commented on the winning projects, saying “I am deeply
impressed and humbled by the experience of all tonight’s winners. Their key
message is that economic prosperity is possible without relying on
unsustainable sources. That is a lesson for all of us in the developed world
and one that the UK government is keen to put into practice”
See next page for list of winners:
International: Community Welfare winner: Barefoot College, India
Since 1990, under the leadership of Bunker Roy the college has helped to
electrify households in 136 villages in remote Himalayan regions, using
photovoltaic solar power. Village energy committees are established and
training is provided for ‘barefoot’ engineers, leading to technical and financial
self-sufficiency. The Award – presented to Bunker Roy - will help the
college spread its work more widely.
Runner-up: Madrid Association of Engineering Without Borders, Peru,
installing solar-powered communication systems at 39 remote forest health
posts. Runners-up prize presented to Valentin Villaroel.
International: Enterprise Winner: West Bengal Renewable Energy
Development Agency
Solar Island has no access to the national grid. WBREDA, under the
leadership of solar engineer Mr. S.P Gon Chaudhuri supports nine solar
mini-grid systems providing power for more than 1,000 consumers for up to
six hours each day. The Award – presented to Mr. S.P Gon Chaudhuri - will
be used to train residents in plant maintenance, management and operation,
providing local employment and enhancing the sustainability of the system.
Runner-up: India’s Madhya Pradesh Affordable Clean Lighting Options for
Street Hawkers Project, which rents solar powered lanterns to local market
stall sellers. Runners-up prize presented to Ram Chandra Prasad
International: Food Security: The Energy and Research Training Centre in
Eritrea
The centre – under the leadership of Aforki Tesfazion - works with local
women to produce and distribute smokeless, fuel efficient clay stoves which
reduce firewood collection time whilst creating cleaner, healthier living and
working environments. The Award – presented to Aforki Tesfazion - will be
used to train 900 women to make stoves, each of whom will train a further 10
women in their village to do the same.
Runner-up: Prolena Nicaragua, producing and promoting fuel-efficient stoves
for small household tortilla businesses. Runners-up prize presented to,
Rogerio de Miranda.
UK: Winner: Moel Moelogan Wind Farm
A community owned wind farm set up by three Welsh upland sheep-farming
families to provide an important alternative source of income and energy for
the community. The farm has three turbines producing enough energy for
1,600 homes.
Runner-up prizes were presented to the Bioregional Development Group –
Zed into the Mainstream and Solar for London – Social Housing.
ENDS
For further information, interview or project photography please
contact:
Maya Vaughan, Tel. + 44 (0) 20 7263 2551 or mobile: + 44 (0) 7931 798
086 or email: maya_vaughan@yahoo.co.uk
Images from the Awards Ceremony are available to download
online at:
http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners_2003_photos.html
Notes to Editors
The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy were created in 2001 by the
Ashden Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. For the first
two years, the awards were presented in association with the Whitley Awards
for Conservation. The success of the renewable energy awards encouraged
the Ashden Trust to set up an independent scheme and to increase the number
of awards, thanks to contributions from four other Sainsbury Family
Charitable Trusts.
Due to their success, the awards have expanded in number and geographical
coverage. This is the first year to include projects in the UK, recognising that
industrialised countries need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy 2003 are presented in
association with Green Futures, the UK's leading magazine on environmental
solutions and sustainable futures, and its parent organisation, Forum for the
Future.
Forum for the Future was founded in 1996 by three of the UK's leading
advocates of sustainable development - Jonathon Porritt, Sara Parkin and Paul
Ekins. The charity aims to accelerate the building of a sustainable way of
life, taking a positive, solutions-oriented approach.