Glittering ceremony announces serious world green travel and energy winners

London’s historic Royal Geographical Society the scene of many historic discoveries -no more important or urgent than the annual Ashden awards

The star-studded line up included Emma Freud, winner of the Voice competition and ex-pupil of winning school – Jermain Jackman – and the uncrowned king of the economics of global climate change – Lord Stern…

Who made another impassioned plea for action on climate change before the economic cost rises even further and we lose our biodiversity saying  – "Our negligence could destroy our relationship with our planet, The environment is deeply important beyond climate change for people around the world". And about the Ashden Awards –  "One example" he said, "Is worth 500 regressions".

And glittering examples there were that evening…

Fourteen trailblazing sustainable energy enterprises from the UK, France, Belgium, Africa, India and Southeast Asia were announced by cultural commentator and broiadcaster Emma Freud  as winners of this year’s Ashden Awards, the world’s leading green energy awards. See Videos HERE

New-generation renewable energy crowdfunding platform Abundance Generation received the prestigious UK Gold Award, recognised for its huge potential to boost the UK renewable energy sector. The UK Gold Award winner is the global IT giant Infosys, which has cut a staggering $80 million off its electricity bills.

Travel awards were given to Dale Vince’s Electric Highway (now with charging points at all UK motorway services – see VIDEO ) and a totally linked-up destination transport network in Toulouse.

Said Sarah Butler-Sloss, Ashden Founder Director: "It’s time to take urgent, collective action to protect our precious planet and stop the march of climate change before it is too late. But while this is a time of great challenge, it is also a time of great opportunity. Ashden winners in the UK and across the globe are showing that with ingenuity and determination, huge progress can be made in slowing the pace of climate change and transforming people’s lives in the process."

International Ashden Award winners:

Ashden Award for Sustainable Buildings: Infosys, India (International Gold Award winner) 

Ashden Clean Energy for Women and Girls Award: Greenway Grameen, India 

Citi Ashden Award for Innovation in Finance: Off Grid Electric, Tanzania 

USAID Ashden Energy for Agriculture Award: Proximity Designs, Myanmar 

Ashden Award for Avoided Deforestation, supported by the Waterloo Foundation: Sustainable Green Fuel Enterprise, Cambodia http://www.ashden.org/winners/SGFE14

Runners up: Kéré Architecture, Burkina Faso; Sakhi Unique Rural Enterprise, India; Mera Gao Power, India; Rajasthan Horticulture Development Society, India; SimGas, Tanzania.

UK Ashden Award winners

Impax Ashden Award for Energy Innovation: Abundance Generation (UK Gold Award winner) 

The Ashden Award for Reducing Fuel Poverty, supported by the Coutts Foundation: Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) 

Ashden Award for Behaviour change: Global Action Plan: Operation TLC

Ashden Award for Sustainable Buildings supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation: Hemcrete Projects

Armstrong Ashden Award for Community Energy: OVESCO, Lewes 

Runners up: Pure Leapfrog; Demand Logic and Severn Wye Energy Agency.

Eurostar Ashden Awards for Sustainable Travel:

Ecotricity

Tisséo-SMTC 

Runners up: Stad Mechelen, Belgium; Living Streets, UK.

Ashden School Awards

Sir George Monoux, London 

St Faith’s, Cambridge 

Runner up: Ashton Vale Primary School, Bristol.

Now in their 14th year, the Ashden Awards celebrate pioneering businesses and organisations that are helping tackle climate change and transforming people’s lives. A total of 14 Ashden Awards were presented at the 2014 awards.

Valere Tjolle

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