UN Awards Ceremony Celebrates Innovative Climate Solutions.
Fifteen game-changing initiatives from more than twenty countries have been celebrated as winners of the prestigious UN Global Climate Action Awards during the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid.
The Awards spearheaded by UN Climate Change’s Momentum for Change initiative showcase some of the most practical, scalable and replicable examples of what people across the globe are doing to tackle climate change.
Speaking at a special ceremony at COP25 hosted by the Chilean Government in Madrid, Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, said:
“These award-winning projects shine a light on outstanding examples of scalable, innovative and practical climate action from around the world. Each of these projects serve as beacons, guiding us towards a better future,” said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change.
“The recipients of the UN Global Climate Action Awards are leaders from communities, governments, businesses and organisations, and they are from all corners of the globe and all levels of society. The teams behind these projects are stepping up to meet the global climate challenge by delivering on the Paris Agreement,” Ms. Espinosa concluded.
The award-winning projects range from an in-app mini-program that’s helped plant 122 million trees, to a “climate positive” burger that’s taking the fast food industry by storm. Other projects include a women-led project that generates clean energy from the ocean, and Québec’s international climate finance program, which is uniquely funded by the province’s own carbon market.
The UN Global Climate Action Awards recognize some of the most impressive climate solutions worldwide. They are shining examples of the kind of solutions UN Secretary-General António Guterres said are urgently needed to address the climate crisis in his opening remarks at the start of COP25 last week.
“The only solution is rapid, ambitious, transformative action by all – governments, regions, cities, businesses and civil society, all working towards a common goal,” said Mr. Guterres.
The 2019 award-winning projects were also lauded by ministers, negotiators, NGOs, and other conference participants at the ceremony in Madrid. Solar aviation pioneer and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, Bertrand Piccard, served as the event’s master of ceremonies.
The awards ceremony also featured inspirational videos narrated by Game of Thrones star and Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Development Programme Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, broadcaster and scientist David Suzuki, Founding Signatory of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action Stella McCartney, UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity Edward Norton, and climate finance expert, Rachel Kyte. The ceremony also featured a musical performance by Müller & Makaroff (from the Gotan Project), who presented ANTROPOCENO.
The 2019 winners of the UN Global Climate Action Awards are:
Planetary Health:
- Impossible Foods | Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, Macau: Creating plant-based alternatives to meat.
- Alipay Ant Forest | China: Using digital technologies to scale up climate action.
- Ghent en Garde | Belgium: Creating structural change through local food policy.
- Electriciens sans frontières | Dominica: Providing “emergency pockets” of solar energy to health centres.
Climate Neutral Now:
- MAX Burgers | Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Poland: Creating the world’s first “Climate Positive” menu.
- Natura’s Carbon Neutral Programme | Global: Measuring and reducing emissions across their entire value chain, from the extraction of raw materials through to their distribution.
- Apple’s Emissions Reduction Mission | Global: Reducing their emissions through clean energy and innovative product design.
- Infosys’ Journey to Carbon Neutrality | India: One of the first companies of its type to commit to carbon neutrality, while investing in local carbon offsetting projects.
Women for Results:
- CAMFED: Young Women’s Grassroots Action on Climate Change | Sub-Saharan Africa: Training young women from marginalized farming communities to become Agriculture Guides.
- Mothers Out Front | US: A movement of over 24,000 mothers mobilising for a liveable climate for their children.
- Women’s Action Towards Climate Resilience in South Asia | Bangladesh, India and Nepal: Empowering women in low-income households to increase their climate resilience.
- Eco Wave Power | Israel, Gibraltar: A world-leading project generating clean energy from the ocean, co-founded and led by a female CEO.
Financing for Climate Friendly Investment:
- Beyond the Grid Fund | Zambia: Providing affordable, off-grid clean energy solutions that are quick to deploy.
- Women’s Livelihood Bond Series | Global: Unlocking over USD 150 million in capital to empower over two million women in South and Southeast Asia.
- Québec’s International Climate Cooperation Program | Canada: Issuing climate finance and support to developing countries, funded by the province’s own carbon market.
The 2019 award-winning projects were selected by an international advisory panel as part of the secretariat’s Momentum for Change initiative, which is implemented with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation, and operates in partnership with the World Economic Forum Global Project on Climate Change, Iberdrola, Climate Neutral Now and donors supporting the implementation of the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan.
Digital assets:
High quality photos and video footage of each project, as well as fact sheets and web cards are available for download here.
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Marchildon, UN Climate Change
Team Lead, Momentum for Change
+49 176 723 73480
10 December 2019
UNFCC
