2015 Winners of UN Climate Change Solutions Awards celebrated in Paris
Showcase Event Demonstrates Real Solutions. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivers Keynote Address. NDF backs four of sixteen winners.
(Paris, France, 10 December 2015) - Sixteen game-changing initiatives from around the world were honoured as winners of a prestigious United Nations climate change award at a special ceremony at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France, this evening.
“These ‘Lighthouse Activities’ shine a light on the groundswell of climate change action around the world,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “As the world moves toward a future built on low-emissions sustainable development, these bold ideas can inspire leaders to be more ambitious in their own policies and actions.”
The Momentum for Change initiative is spearheaded by the UN Climate Change secretariat to shine a light on some of the most innovative and replicable examples of what people are doing to address climate change. This year’s winning activities range from a seriously cool smartphone that puts social values first to an initiative that is enabling 50 Latin American cities to take concrete climate action.
Out of the sixteen game-changing climate action initiatives, four awards went to NDF-backed activities. This is a clear indication of the strategic role of Nordic climate financing and how NDF is frontrunner on innovative climate change initiatives.
The following four projects have had or are presently financed by NDF:
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Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI) supports sustainable development in Latin American and Caribbean cities. The project covers more than 50 cities to take action on climate resilience. NDF support is for Cochabamba in Bolivia, Managua in Nicaragua, and Tegucigalpa in Honduras. After a successful first phase, the NDF support is now in its second phase.
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Solvatten® is an innovative but simple technology which utilises solar radiation (UV and heat) for water purification. NDF financed the introduction of these solar water purifiers in Kibera, a large slum area in Nairobi through the first call of the Nordic Climate Facility.
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Grundfos LifeLink water solution combines mobile phones and water systems. To collect water, people charge a smart card with credit bought onsite or via their mobile phones, they insert the card into the dispenser and pay for the water they need. NDF financed an earlier project with the LifeLink in Kenya through the Nordic Climate Facility.
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SELF’s Solar Market Gardens combines solar-powered water pumps with drip irrigation systems to provide for reliable, year-round, production of high-value vegetables and fruits in Northeast Benin. NDF financed an earlier version of the SELF Solar Gardens project through the Nordic Climate Facility.
More Information
Press release by UNFCCC: 16 Game-Changing Climate Action Initiatives Announced
