Dulas brings Endurance wind turbines to the UK

On the back of the first successful installation, Ashden award-winner leading renewables firm Dulas is pleased to announce its appointment as a national distributor for Endurance wind turbines.

(Photo credit: Dulas Ltd)

The company was among a small number selected for their dedication to the renewable energy industry and their specific capabilities and experience in the wind turbine market.

Endurance Wind Power is a manufacturer of advanced wind turbines designed specifically for distributed wind power applications. Ian Draisey, Director at Dulas said of the announcement, “Dulas is thrilled to have been selected as a distributor for Endurance turbines and knows that there is a buoyant market for this product as a result of the feed in tariff for microgeneration. Until recently the best financial returns were limited to the largest wind farm developments. Now the new feed-in tariff (FIT) guarantees high rates of return on generation from medium scale wind turbines like the Endurance 50kW product making it an ideal application for those prepared to invest in microgeneration”.

Dulas has a highly experienced wind team with over 20 years’ knowledge of turbine siting, wind measurement and planning to medium scale wind. The company has a proven track record of over 350MW of consented applications for a wide range of clients.

For more information on renewable energy consultancy, planning and installations please visit www.dulas.org.uk, for more about Ashden Award winners please visit www.ashdenawards.org.

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After recent floods award-winner GERES is working on reconstruction in Ladakh, India

After the recent devastating flash floods in Ladakh, India, past award winners GERES are working hard to begin reconstruction in the region.


See a recent news release from the association:

“The GERES teams, based in Leh in Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas, have escaped unscathed from the violent floods that hit the region on the night of August 5. However, we regret the disappearance of three relatives of our local accountant, whose house was swept away by the flood. The association wishes to express its deep sorrow and convey its unwavering support to their families.

For over twenty years, GERES has been working in Ladakh and in the valleys of Zanskar, Kargil, Lahaul and Spiti. In partnership with local NGOs and the Indian government we work together in the field of social and economic development and environmental protection. A pioneer in the implementation of passive solar architecture in the Himalayas, GERES has to its credit a number of technical, social and environmental achievements. A major programme underway (Passive Solar House) includes the introduction of energy efficiency technologies in the construction or rehabilitation of 1,000 domestic and community buildings. These new structures play a key role in local populations. They promote the improvement of living conditions, economic activity and crafts.

It appears that the buildings of our project have withstood the floods well, but this is not the case of neighbouring recent facilities that were built too quickly, despite the rules of town planning. Half of the homes located in Choglamsar, a downstream suburb of Leh, have been destroyed. Although a direct link cannot be currently made, it is feared that the floods will worsen in future years due to climate change. In one area, normally totally spared by the monsoon, this has been the second episode of serious flooding since 2006.

GERES is already getting ready for reconstruction within the area. Last week GERES participated in a meeting with local government, international and local NGOs to develop a strategy to define the areas in which buildings, both temporary and permanent, should be constructed, according to the context, the level of damage, and the availability and cost of land. GERES has been appointed as a local expert coordinator for reconstruction and will participate in planning workshops to share its technical expertise. The "Passive Solar House" programme, will also be resumed as soon as the lines of communication are restored.

If you wish to support GERES in this reconstruction phase, send a gift to: GERES, 2 cours Foch, 13400 Aubagne with mention "GERES India" on the back of the cheque.”

For more information on the work of GERES visit our website.

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Co-founder of Trees, Water & People wins humanitarian award

Stuart Conway, the Co-founder of Ashden award-winning Trees, Water & People (TWP), has been honoured with the 2010 Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service. This prestigious award is presented annually by the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA). The award recognises Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who continue to make sustained and distinguished contributions to humanitarian causes or are innovative social entrepreneurs bringing about significant long-term change. Conway is a proud RPCV who served in Guatemala for three years as an Extension Agent and Trainer for the Conservation of Natural Resources Programme.

Trees, Water, & People won an Ashden Award in 2005 for their work, led by Conway, to develop and install the fuel-efficient Justa cookstove. These nifty stoves improve human health while reducing wood usage for fuel and decreasing carbon emissions. Conway has since expanded his beneficial stove program throughout Central America and Haiti, coordinating the building of more than 40,000 fuel-efficient stoves and directly improving the lives of more than 200,000 people. He has also managed the planting of nearly 4 million trees throughout Central America and Haiti since 1998.

For more information on the work of Trees, Water & People, visit our website.

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Off-grid renewables workshop and Ashden India Collective launches in Delhi

Our recent event in Delhi combined a workshop 'Scaling up off-grid renewables' and the launch of the Ashden Awards India Collective. Jointly hosted by the Ashden Awards and DFID, the workshop 'Scaling up off-grid renewables' drew together policy makers, financial institutions, NGOs and donor organisations to explore new initiatives to stimulate renewable energy in India. It was also attended by the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), who plan to work with the Ashden Indian Collective on policy work in the coming year.

In the morning, the session kicked off with a welcome by Mariana Mazon, our International Programme Manager and Philip Douglas, First Secretary of the British High Commission and DFID. The first session was a presentation by NERA Economic Consulting on a fund, supported by DFID and MNRE, for providing financial incentive to scale up pro-poor renewable development. This was followed by a session that looked at the experiences challenges and success of collective members with Hemant Lamba of Aurore Energy speaking about electricity generation and Svati Bhogle, TIDE, presenting on heat generation. This session ended with a presentation by MNRE on their programmes for incentivising the use of off grid renewable energy by Gauri Singh, Joint Secretary at MNRE. The following discussion picked up on the lessons learned to date from business and policy experience and areas where the Ashden India Collective could add most value. It was a welcomed and fresh opportunity to have a cross section of sectors debate and share experience on pro-poor renewables in India.

In the afternoon, past Ashden award-winners came together to formally launch the Ashden India Collective. They met to look at strategy for the next year. Led by a core group and managed by a coordinator, the collective will focus their work in the coming year on building a solid policy programme for widespread decentralised renewable energy in India. The idea of an Ashden India Collective developed after the conference last February 'Building a Sustainable Energy Future for India' hosted by the Ashden Awards, the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Department for International Development

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AID Foundation selected as finalist for BBC World Challenge

Ashden award-winner the AID Foundation Inc. (AIDFI) has been selected from over 800 nominations by BBC World Challenge as one of twelve pioneering grassroots projects from across the world. It has been chosen for its innovative work providing water using hydraulic ram pumps to rural villages in the Philippines. The judging panel, consisting of the Heads of international development, news and banking organisations, has recognised the hydraulic ram pump is an idea whose time has finally come.

Voting for the overall winner will be on www.theworldchallenge.co.uk from 27 September until 12 November 2010.

For people living in villages in the mountainous regions of the Philippines, the back-breaking work of travelling down steep slopes to collect water is a daily necessity. With a limited water supply, cooking and drinking are prioritised over using water for agriculture and hygiene which leads to greater illness and more limited economic activity. The ram pump uses a very simple mechanism, without the input of electricity or fossil fuels. It works by using the power of a river’s flow to literally push water uphill. And it has revolutionised life for people living in rural Philippines. Ram pumps are saving villagers both time and money when they replace expensive diesel-powered or electric pumps as well as being better for the environment. So far AIDFI have installed ram pumps in over 170 villages in the Philippines and has started installations in Cambodia and Afghanistan.

For information on AIDFI and to view a film of their work, visit our website.

Ram pump installed in Cambodia

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Jeremy Leggett on transitioning to a low-carbon world - in 60 seconds!

We have asked past Ashden award-winners to answer tough questions on what is needed to transition to a low-carbon world – and we’ve given them just 60 seconds to do it in! Jeremy Leggett, founder and Chairman of Solarcentury, gave us some quickfire answers on three key topics.

The new government says it will be the ‘greenest government in history’ - quite a bar to set. What would David Cameron have to put first on his agenda to give you faith in the future of a sustainable energy in the UK?
The UK needs a programme of rapid proactive clean-energy mobilisation consistent with the recommendations of the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak oil and Energy Security. The taskforce is forecasting a global oil crunch by 2015 at the latest - around the same time that Ofgem and others are forecasting for a gas and electricity crunch in the UK. Because of the risk that oil producers will start husbanding their resources for use at home, the threat of peak oil means we have to mobilise clean energy far faster than we would have to in order to get to 80% cuts by 2050, for carbon reasons.

Do you think feed-in tariffs will revolutionise the domestic energy landscape?
They certainly hold the potential so to do. But they need to be reduced steadily year-on-year, without caps on deployment, in a way that allows a domestic industry to keep growing. Spain has shown how not to do this, and killed the industry it had begun to build. Enemies of renewables - and there are many such - will be trying very hard to repeat this insanity in the UK.

Most people in the UK have heard of climate change and the need to act, but are doing little. What do you think is the biggest thing hindering behaviour change?
The human brain. The older I get the more I lose my faith in the power in rational argument. I fear that most of us prefer comforting narratives over uncomfortable ones, whatever the evidence says. Neuroscience, with all its recent advances, is becoming a must for amateur study by those of us who seek to change the world for the better.

Solarcentury won and Ashden Award in 2007, click here to find out more.

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This week: Ashden India Collective launch

This Wednesday, sixteen past Ashden award-winners come together to launch the Ashden India Collective. The idea developed after the conference last February Building a Sustainable Energy Future for India hosted with the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Department for International Development. The group will draw on their experience to develop policy recommendations for the government to widen the use of decentralised renewable energy.

A workshop, Scaling up off-grid renewables , is also taking place on the same day. Jointly hosted by the Ashden Awards and the DfID, this session draws together policy makers, financial institutions, NGOs and donor organisations to explore new initiatives to stimulate renewable energy in India. Outcomes from this event will inform the focus and plan for the Ashden India Collective over the coming year.

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Ashden Awards winners covered across global media

The 2010 Ashden award winners are receiving well-deserved global attention for their achievements. At the start of this month, twelve outstanding projects were in London to receive an Ashden Award for sustainable energy. And none of this escaped the attention of the press- media outlets across the globe have picked up on the news!

In the UK, the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust was covered in The Guardian, The Telegraph and and The Scotsman. BBC News Online featured Willis Renewables’ solar device in Northern Ireland whilst D.light Design and the Rural Energy Foundation were covered for their international success. TECNOSOL appeared on BBC Mundo, MARD/SNV was recognised on BBC Vietnam and CRELUZ was covered on BBC Brasil as a news and and blog item.

National newspapers were have also been keen to share the news. D.light’s success appeared in India in the Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Asian Age and Rediff.com. MARD/SNV were covered in Vietnam News , Voice of Vietnam, Nhan Dan and Vietnam Plus. TECNOSOL had their news shared in the Nicaraguan papers La Prensa, El Nuevo Diario and Bolsa de Noticias. CRELUZ were in dozens of Brazilian papers including Folha do Noroeste, O Globo , O Nacional and O Alto Uruguai whilst Sky Link Innovators and the Rural Energy Foundation were in East Africa’s Citizen, Allafrica.com, the Africa Science News Service and Business Daily.

TV and radio broadcasters were no less interested in the work of the 2010 Ashden award-winners. BBC World TV, BBC radio World Update both interviewed Ned Tozun from D.light Design whilst interviews with the Rural Energy Foundation and MARD/SNV were made for BBC World Today. BBC's Science in Action explored MARD/SNV’s biogas project in Vietnam as a feature story for their radio show. Regionally, Sky Link Innovators and D.light Design were interviewed on two occasions for BBC Africa Network, whilst BBC Swahili service promoted Sky Link’s work along with that of the Rural Energy Foundation and D.light Design. The BBC Hindi service also covered D.light Design in their science magazine. CNN India covered a story on D.light, RBS TV covered a story on CRELUZ and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation covered Sky Link Innovators. Radio France International and Voice of America interviewed Rural Energy Foundation whilst Brazil's Universal FM and Nicaraguan Radio ABC featured stories on CRELUZ and TECNOSOL.

Some of the world’s leading green energy and technology publications and websites were also quick to pick up the news with stories about Ashden award-winners appearing in The New Agriculturist, REEEP, YouGen, Scidev.net, Oneworld.net , Planet Green and Treehugger.com.

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Snapshots from a week with the international award-winners

2010 Ashden award-winners and Ashden staff on the London Eye (Photo: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun)

Earlier this month was a frenzy of activity in London, six UK and six international winners were in town, showcasing their work before being presented with their globally recognised award by Sir David Attenborough at the Royal Geographical Society.

For the international project representatives who had made the journey to the UK, the week was filled with judging interviews, business development meetings, media training, presentation practices, a full-day conference and the prestigious Ashden Awards ceremony - they even managed to fit in some sight-seeing! We're honoured to have had our international winners here for a week and what a week it was...


Chris Mulindwa, Rural Energy Foundation, at the Ashden Awards Conference (Photo: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun)


Ned Tozun, D.light Design, with Nova solar light at the Ashden Awards Conference (Photo: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun)


Willem Nolens, Rural Energy Foundation, and Ned Tozun, D.light Design, at the Ashden Awards Conference (Photo: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun)


Alfonso Barquero, TECNOSOL, giving presentation at the Ashden Awards Conference (Photo: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun)


Sat on a panel at the conference: (left to right) Willem Nolens, Alfonso Barquero, Vladimir Delagneau Barquero, Chris Nolans and Ned Tozun.
(Photo: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun)


Samwel Kinoti, Sky Link Innovators, and Chris Mulindwa, Rural Energy Foundation, sightseeing on the Southbank (Photo: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun)

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Will the coalition live up to David Cameron's promise to be the “greenest-ever government”? - Geoffrey Lean

Will the coalition live up to David Cameron's promise to be the “greenest-ever government”? Right now, the signals are mixed, says Geoffrey Lean, Environmental Correspondent at The Daily Telegraph.

In theory it should be. As the Prime Minister pointed out the day after the election, creating low-carbon prosperity is one of the things on which both partners most agree. He and key senior colleagues are really committed to this, perhaps even more so than Nick Clegg. And – especially after the budget – the Lib Dems really need to deliver on the low-carbon agenda if they are to retain the support of their constituency.

One good sign is that there is to be an immediate Energy Bill. This will implement a manifesto promise to provide householders with loans to introduce energy saving measures to be paid back out of the savings made. The ministerial team at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, led by Chris Huhne, is impressive - and Cameron went out of his way to show them his wholehearted support when visiting the Department as one of his first engagements. Even George Osborne has promised to make the Treasury “a green ally, not a foe.”

Yet the cuts may mean that, in practice, the Government falls far short of its intentions. It has already scrapped grants helping householders install renewable energy at home, without putting anything in its place. And it has failed to endorse a Labour commitment to introduce a 'Renewable Heat Incentive'(a kind of feed-in tarrif for heat) because of lack of support from that 'green ally', the Treasury. There is also concern that cuts may decimate grants for farmers to safeguard nature by farming in environmentally sensitive ways - tragic for wildlife and the countryside. What happens to these and, above all, the Renewable Heat Incentive, will give us some idea of how green this government is really going to be.

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Ian Draisey on transitioning to a low-carbon world - in 60 seconds!

We have asked some of our past award-winners to share their views on what we need to address to transition to a low-carbon world – and we’ve given them just 60 seconds to do it in! This week, Ian Draisey, Director of Dulas Ltd gave us some insight on three challenging topics.

Do you think getting cash back from the government for generating your own energy through feed-in tariffs is going to revolutionise the domestic energy landscape?

Yes - it has brought this part of the energy equation down to a grass roots level for many. There has been a limited choice between energy suppliers - whose principle interest is 'churn' of customers. The feed-in tariffs have given both the incentive for the public to be proactive in reducing their energy bills, and it offers a new way for the utility sector providers to compete for new business.

Most people in the UK have heard of climate change and the need to act, but are in fact doing very little. What do you think is the biggest thing hindering a change in our behaviour?

I think for the majority it’s still a lack of understanding the issue – there’s a prevailing sense of doubt about the collective impact of small sacrifices and behaviour changes that many people are starting to make. The biggest hinderance is simply the ranking climate change receives in most people’s lives - compared to competing issues like supermarket prices and the housing market. People still see climate change as a statistic or as a problem suffered by far flung countries. Few people in the UK have experienced the impacts of climate change directly, unless it rains all through the school holidays that is! I still believe in the short term, financial incentives are the only real method of promoting effective change.

The new government says it will be the ‘greenest government in history’ - quite a bar to set! What would have David Cameron have to put first on his agenda to give you faith in the future of a sustainable energy in the UK?

We need a step change in policy to encourage community based initiatives, which elevate energy projects at local authority level to sit alongside regeneration initiatives.

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BIOTECH installs ninth biogas waste treatment plant in South India

Update: BIOTECH Have installed their first biogas waste treatment plant in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. More on our news page.

Ashden award-winners BIOTECH are installing clean and efficient waste to electricity plants in India at an amazing rate. Last Friday the 21st May, a waste treatment plant was opened in Narikkuni Grama Panchayat in Kerala, India – this is their ninth installation in the past twelve months! Led by the Hon. Minister for Devaswom, Mr. Ramachandran Kadannappally, this was a proud moment for the community and, judging by the pictures, a successful and welcomed event.

BIOTECH have installed a total of fifty plants so far in the state of Kerala. In a situation of highly dense populations, the treatment of solid waste has become a matter critical to public health. In Sabarimala, a centre close by, forty million devotees visit for worship each year. The huge problem created around waste management has triggered a response in legislation and initiative - BIOTECH’s work installing plants across the state with the support of local and central authorities is a significant step in addressing the issue. The recently installed plant, for instance, can treat up to 300kg of solid matter in an ecologically sustainable way. The biogas made from this waste then generates around 5KV of electricity, more than enough to run the plant and fifty lights across the site.

Fundamental to the success of the plant is achieving the cooperation and understanding of the general public. Local authorities have worked hard to engage, rally and educate local communities around the use and benefits of the new system. The plant has even been designed to enable the waste treatment process and electricity generation to be viewed by visitors.

Take a look at our website for more information on biogas and our past award-winners. To hear about our 2010 winners using biogas, register for our free conference here: ashdenawardsconference2010.eventbrite.com

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Transitioning to a low-carbon world in 60 seconds

We have asked some of our past award-winners to share their views on what we need to address for a transition to a low-carbon world – and we’ve given them just 60 seconds to do it in! This week, Richard Dunne, Head teacher of Ashley Primary School gave us some quickfire answers on three hot topics.

Do you think getting cash back from the government for generating your own energy using feed-in tariffs is going to revolutionise the domestic energy landscape?

Feed-in tariffs are a good idea, but currently there is no proper publicity of them to make people aware of them. There needs to be a major education programme about feed-in tariffs and energy. In addition to that, the payback period for feed-in tariffs is still too long and the initial outlay too high to make it a realistic option for most people. More than anything, I am not sure there is enough will amongst the public to take up them up.

Most people in the UK have heard of climate change and the need to act, but are in fact doing very little, what do you think is the biggest thing hindering a change in our behaviour?

I think the biggest thing hindering behaviour change is change itself and the fact that the majority of people still do not want to or don’t think they need to change their lifestyles. We need to incentivise change to the extent that people see it as something they want to do and we must publicise the incentives in ways that engage the wider public again and again and again so that the culture starts to shift. It is happening, but we need to really build the momentum now.

The new government says it will be the ‘greenest government in history’ - quite a bar to set! What would David Cameron have to put first on his agenda to give you faith in the future of sustainable energy in the UK?

The key for David Cameron has to be to reward those who conserve energy and to penalise those who consume too much. We need clear targets for all organisations to meet along the lines of the Carbon Reduction Commitment as there is still too much poor practice. We especially need to address aviation and tax aviation fuel properly. We need to make sustainable energy best practice very, very high profile. Ultimately we need to join up the thinking and have individual carbon allocations so that we are all consciously aware of the impact of our lifestyles on climate change.

More views from past winners to come in the coming weeks...visit our website for more information on their projects.

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Local solutions to climate change: The 2010 Ashden Awards Imperial College Conference

On the 30th June we'll be showcasing the pioneering work of our 2010 winners at the stunning Royal Geographical Society. Expect to be inspired and engaged in a day packed with films and presentations from our 2010 winners and debate around pressing issues for the UK and internationally.

In the morning the discussion will centre on the international arena. Presentations from our international winners will be followed by a panel debate around carbon finance - is it the way forward?

Discussion in the afternoon will begin with a examination of green politics in the UK. Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future, will lead an interview with a senior government official to look at the role local sustainable energy solutions could play in a tough fiscal future. Finally, our UK winners will round off the day with presentations of their work.

Numbers are limited and tickets are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To register for this free event and for a full programme of the day visit our registration page.

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Ashden award-winner GERES Cambodia have just sold their one millionth stove

Since winning an Ashden Award in 2006, GERES’ profile and sales has dramatically increased. They have built on their success, bringing improved ‘New Lao’ stoves to families across Cambodia. In March of this year they sold their one millionth improved cookstove! Not only is this a very significant milestone for GERES, but it is also a great achievement in the journey towards providing clean sustainable cooking alternatives for millions worldwide.

“It is an achievement of GERES Cambodia, but let’s consider it as the achievement of ALL STOVERS in the world. We can prove that disseminating large numbers of improved cook stoves is not a dream anymore, but we can manage to make it into a reality....I would invite all stovers in the world to work harder, think bigger and set longer term visions. There are 2 billion people around us waiting to use improved cook stoves for their daily cooking. They have the right to use the improved cook stoves and we are obliged to fulfill their rights.” - Iwan Baskoro, GERES Country Director

The New Lao stove’s success may be down to its unique design – read more about it here . It is manufactured at sixteen production centres across ten provinces and suited to burning charcoal, the local fuel of choice in urban areas.

Each stove saves 0.4 tonnes of carbon per year – when this is scaled up by the number that GERES has sold results are impressive, both in mitigating climate change and avoiding deforestation. On top of their environmental credentials, the work of GERES has had a significant social benefit, securing increased employment for over 1,100 people in the small industry sector. And, they have built on the success of the New Lao stove by developing two new stoves: the Neang Kongrey Stove for rural families and the Vattanak Stove for palm sugar production.

If you’d like to hear more about the work of our winners, please visit our website. We have also recently published a report on cookstoves, download it here.

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Ashden Award winner the Gaia Association has been shortlisted for a world-class award

Since winning an Ashden Award in 2008, the Gaia Association has been busy. More low-income families in Adis Ababa are feeling the benefits of cleaner, safer cooking fuel, CleanCook stoves are being used by thousands of families across the Kebribeyah and Awbarre refugee camps and stoves are being trialled and distributed in Nigeria, Brazil, South Africa and Madagascar. Now their impressive work has been recognised by the World Bioenergy Association.

In April, Executive Director Harry Stokes was selected from over ninety nominations as one of seven shortlisted to win a World Bioenergy Award. The acclaimed award marks out those who are developing bioenergy across the sectors. What an achievement - Stokes has been shortlisted alongside those from a range of professional areas, standing out for his commitment to making efficient, affordable cleanburning stoves widely accessible for African households. A worthy contender for the prize, our fingers are crossed! Announcements for the winner will be made on the 25th of May at World Bioenergy 2010 Conference and Exhibition.

If you want to find out more about our winners, visit our website. If you would like to read more about the benefits of improved stoves, download our recent research report, Stoking up a cookstove revolution: The secret weapon against poverty and climate change.

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Indian government prepares action plan for improved cookstoves

The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has revealed that the government intends to make improved cookstoves more widely available. The National Biomass Cook-stove Initiative includes efforts to improve the technical capacity of the country to research the technology whilst improving the supply of efficient stoves for businesses and households. Take a look at this recent news article from the Shell Foundation for more information.



This initiative is certainly a step in the right direction. Our recently published report on efficient cookstoves, Stoking up a cookstove revolution: The secret weapon against poverty and climate change, features the experiences of several of our Indian winners working to increase the use of efficient stoves, creating positive environmental, economic and health impacts. It also highlights a need for government policy to encourage the widespread use of efficient stoves. You can download a copy of it here.

For more information on efficient cookstoves and to find out about all of our award-winners please see our website.

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Fruits of the Nile expands into drying berry fruits

Fruits of the Nile (FON) are expanding into drying berry fruits thanks to a grant of £148,000 awarded for this purpose through DFID's FRICH (Food Retail Industry Challenge) initiative. Each year, Fruits of the Nile produces and exports around 120 tonnes of high-quality dried banana and pineapple from its factory in Njeru. They are keen to diversify the range of products their farmers can produce to reduce risk in the marketplace so branching out into a new high-value product such as berry fruits is a positive step.



In 2009, the Ashden Awards, as part of its business support programme, funded a feasibility study exploring the options for diversifying FON’s products. The study’s findings identified specific fruit cultivars, production techniques and yields that FON will now produce in partnership with Garden Organic. In this new venture, the technology of choice for drying is solar, a technique which needs very little energy (or financial) inputs yet adds significant value to the product.



Already the production of strawberries, blueberries, cape gooseberries and raspberries is underway. Farmers have just planted about 10,000 seedlings. Longer term, the ambition is to target organic cultivation methods with the berries. However, the profusion of bugs and pests in Uganda at the moment is making this a challenge!

Since winning an Ashden Award in 2008, Fruits of the Nile, with help from the award prize-money, has continued to develop. They have installed rainwater harvesting, certified new farmers and set up eleven new working groups with individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. A solar PV supply has even been installed to run computers and lights in the packing factory, enabling work to continue during power cuts.



Not only are Fruits of the Nile showing determination in the face of a global recession, but they are reinforcing their commitment to sustainable energy use. Having a non-perishable product means they can freight their cargo using ships rather than planes. And, in the face of a continent halted by volcanic ash, this has proved to be a great option, saving the company from major disruptions in its recent deliveries!

For more information and news about all of our award-winners, please visit our website.

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Trees Water People are steaming ahead bringing improved cookstoves to families in Haiti and Honduras

Nearly half the world’s households, around three billion people worldwide, eat food cooked on traditional stoves and fires that kill around 1.6 million people a year -- most of them are children. Trees, Water & People (TWP) have been working hard in recent months to bring improved stoves to thousands affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti and to communities in Honduras.

TWP and Honduran NGO, ADHESA won an Ashden Award in 2005 for their work installing efficient stoves in Honduras. In the last 5 years, TWP and its local partners have continued to bring benefits to communities and ecosystems in Central America through their work installing efficient cookstoves and planting trees. To date, TWP has produced and distributed 35,000 improved Justa and Ecostoves to families in need and planted 3.5 million trees with local farmers in Central America.
In 2005, with the help of Ashden award prize money and USEPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency), TWP built its first factory in Honduras. Since then, with funding from private foundations and individual donors, they have remodelled an old shoe factory into one for stoves. And production from the stove factory is steaming ahead! In the last 6 months, local partner NGO, AHDESA has produced and sold 5,000 stoves, with almost 2,700 sold in first quarter of this year. These have been for agencies and organisations such as the European Union, CARE and Rotary clubs.

The project has been careful to ensure social sustainability. ADHESA has been training local community leaders in Honduras to help deliver production and distribution in communities. In the last 3 months, 156 community leaders have been trained and about a third of these people now have the technical skills needed to construct and install Ecostoves.
In Haiti, since the earthquake, Trees, Water & People has been part of the effort to provide relief and continued development for the local people. It has already sent 430 stoves as part of an emergency aid effort and raised $28,000 for medical and emergency relief in Haiti. In the next seven years, Trees, Water & People hopes to help get 100,000 cookstoves into the country, where millions of people still depend on unhealthy open fires to cook food for their families.
Improved stoves have multiple positive benefits, they can drastically reduce the toxic effects of cookstoves on health, develop lives and mitigate climate change. For instance, each stove installed in Honduras saves families around one dollar per day and stops around 4 tonnes of C02 being emitted each year.

More information about the impacts and potential for cookstoves can be read in our recent report “Stoking up a cookstove revolution: the secret weapon against poverty and climate change” which draws on the work and experiences of our winners.

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A model for regional support? Enworks is improving business efficiency in the Northwest

Simon, our UK Programme Manager, recently attended a one-day conference in Manchester hosted by ENWORKS. ENWORKS, who won an award in 2007, is a leading environmental business support service based in the Northwest. It supports small and medium businesses (SMEs) to become more resource efficient, reducing their carbon impact and increasing their productivity.

The event ,"Obvious in Hindsight: A strategic insight into successful environmental business support", was designed to share a decade's worth of experience in delivering environmental business support and provide the opportunity for delegates to contribute to the debate on key issues. The Chair of our UK judging panel, Prof. Paul Ekins, and Todd Holden, ENWORKS' Director, were amongst those giving presentations throughout the day. These covered topics such as the challenge and potential of resource efficiency, the value of regions and linkages and the implications of ENWORKS' experience for government policy.

This event was also a great opportunity to showcase “ENWORKS in a Box”, an online tool developed with the help of the Ashden Award prize money to serve as a practical resource for businesses and support services. It is designed to share knowledge, the lessons learnt and to provide guidance for other organisations or partnerships that are looking to deliver environmental business support.

Organisations like these mark out the potential for regional business support services to help deliver large reductions in energy consumption with relatively little cost. ENWORKS has developed an incredibly successful model of business support, stimulating dramatic savings in carbon and reduced costs through efficiency measures, saving Northwest businesses millions of pounds each year. It supports around 1,000 businesses every year, helping them to achieve £100m in savings annually and regional reductions in CO2 emissions of 303,300 tonnes each year. The model they have developed has the potential to be adapted and replicated in other regions, bringing massive benefits to SMEs across the UK.


Find out more about our winners on our website.

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