The Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity awards, which honor innovative, scalable and replicable climate actions from around the world, have been announced.
The 16 selected initiatives come from around the world and a variety of sectors, highlighting inspiring mitigation and adaptation activities.
The announcement of the 2015 Lighthouse Activities comes as Parties to the UNFCCC prepare to adopt a universal climate change agreement at the Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015.
27 October 2015: The Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity awards, which honor innovative, scalable and replicable climate actions from around the world, have been announced. The 16 selected initiatives come from around the world and a variety of sectors, highlighting inspiring mitigation and adaptation activities. The announcement of the 2015 Lighthouse Activities comes as Parties to the UNFCCC prepare to adopt a universal climate change agreement at the Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015.
Noting that fewer than 35 days remain before the Paris Climate Change Conference, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres said the Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activities are “compelling proof that climate action is building worldwide and in countries, communities, companies and cities everywhere.” She added that showcasing these activities can help “accelerate the global transition to a low-carbon, highly resilient development path and mark a turning point in the sustainable management of planet Earth for the seven billion alive today and the ten billion by 2050.”
In Africa, winners include: Azuri PayGo Energy, a pay-as-you-go energy system for rural homes in Sub-Saharan Africa; Enabling Farmers to Adapt to Climate Change, a collection of tools to collect, analyze and send out pertinent data to Ugandan farmers; Grundfos Lifelink Water Solutions, an online water management platform for people in Kenya and Uganda; Mobisol Smart Solar Homes, a rent-to-own service that helps homeowners buy solar systems in Rwanda and Tanzania; Planting Trees to Save the Mangrove, a women-led cooperative that protects forests and generates income in Guinea; SELF’s Solar Market Gardens, which use a solar-powered pump and drip irrigation system in Benin; and Solvatten Solar Safe Water Heater, a dual water treatment and solar water heating system for urban dwellers in Kenya.
In Asia and the Pacific, awardees are: E-Waste: From Toxic to Green, which trains waste pickers to keep e-waste out of landfills in India, and Mapping Exposure to Sea-Level Rise, a set of online spatial tools helping islands prepare for and adapt to sea-level rise.
In Latin America, the Lighthouse Activities selected are: Deforestation-Free Cocoa, a carbon-asset-backed loan to protect forests and produce cocoa in Peru; Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative, planning tools and action plans for a low-carbon, highly resilient pathway for Latin American cities; Fostering Cleaner Production, an all‐women leadership alliance working to reduce emissions in Colombia’s construction industry; and Harvesting Geothermal Energy, which generates income with geothermal waste-heat for women in rural communities in El Salvador.
In North America, ChargePoint Electric Vehicle Charging Corridors won for its network of electric vehicle express charging stations. In addition two international companies were honored: Microsoft for its internal Global Carbon Fee, which holds its business units financially accountable for their carbon emissions, and Fairphone, an enterprise making smartphones sustainable and conflict‐free. [UNFCCC Press Release] [UNFCCC Momentum for Change Webpage]