Ashden
The Ashden Awards uncover and reward the most exciting sustainable energy pioneers in the UK and developing world, who are leading the way to a thriving low-carbon future. Our winners don’t just receive prize money – we also give them a global platform to promote their work and access to our elite community of sustainable energy leaders. Our annual Awards Ceremony is the highlight of our year – but our work goes far beyond our awards. We push for the changes needed to roll out sustainable energy solutions to those who need them most, and drive our winners forward. Ashden supports and promotes sustainable energy enterprises from around the world. By showcasing sustainable energy trailblazers, supporting them to grow and advocating for the sector as a whole, we can progress towards our ambition: a world where everyone has access to affordable, clean energy.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Event organizer
- Industry Type:
- Energy
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
About us
Our vision is of a world where there is sustainable energy for all. But today 1.3 billion people lack access to modern forms of electricity. Some 3 billion – more than a third of the world’s population – cook on smoky inefficient stoves and fires, causing dangerous indoor air pollution which causes 4.3 million premature deaths every year. That's more than double the number of people who die from malaria and HIV/AIDS combined.
With greenhouse gas emissions at record-breaking levels, urgent action is needed to mitigate climate change.
Our missionWe believe sustainable energy is the biggest challenge – and the biggest opportunity – of our time. We uncover the best in sustainable energy and show the world its potential to improve lives, boost economic growth and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon world.
Since our creation in 2001, our winners have transformed the lives of more than 47 million people in the UK and developing countries. Their solutions range from simple solar lanterns in Africa that allow children to do their homework after sunset, to low-carbon building innovators in the UK.
Their inspiring stories show how, with ingenuity and determination, even the toughest challenges can be overcome. The impact of their work can be seen in enhanced educational standards, better health and improved livelihoods for the poor, as well as cleaner, more profitable businesses.
Together, they offer a vision of a better future for all.
What we do
By showcasing sustainable energy trailblazers and advocating for the sector as a whole, we can progress towards our ambition: a world where everyone has access to affordable, clean energy.
Our annual Awards Ceremony is the highlight of our year – but our work goes far beyond our awards. We push for the changes needed to roll out sustainable energy solutions to those who need them most, and drive our winners forward.
Helping our winners grow
Working with expert partners, we offer our winners a package of support to help them expand. This is tailored to each winner and ranges from mentoring, business and technical guidance to introductions to finance. We also help broker partnerships between winners, so they can increase their impact.
Sharing best practice
We provide ways for our Award winners to share their expertise, encouraging others to follow their lead. These include our flagship LESS CO2 mentoring programme for schools in the UK, our support to the Ashden India Renewable Energy Collective, as well as conferences and other events. Our online resources section also offers a wealth of detailed information about sustainable energy technologies, as well as inspiring videos and photos.
Influencing policy
To move closer towards our low-carbon vision we need tangible, powerful examples to inspire others to act. We champion our winners’ solutions through events, publicity, research and engagement in policy consultations, and we work with our winners to help them better understand how to influence energy policy.