This site uses cookies to provide you with the best user experience. By using the Ashden website, you accept our use of cookies.
Powering climate innovation
The 2026 Ashden Awards honour five outstanding climate innovators. Their work ranges from lowering flood risks in northern England, to powering up homes and businesses in rural Africa.
These champions from the UK and Global South will see their work accelerated by Ashden’s support. Three organisations are tackling fuel poverty or widening access to clean, affordable energy – while two are delivering nature-based solutions, in partnership with local communities.
Winners were revealed in a ceremony at London’s National Gallery on June 18.
All five are delivering social and economic benefits – such as higher incomes, community resilience and better health – alongside emissions reductions or climate adaptation.
Instituto Zág supports local people in the Laklãnõ-Xokleng territory to protect and restore their land. This includes replanting the threatened Araucária tree, and tackling logging and wildfires. Instituto Zág’s work is powered by cultural and ancestral knowledge – so it makes sure to educate and engage the community at every step.
REAL is a not-for-profit programme developer, widening access to solar home systems. These devices offer a route out of energy poverty for 660 million people living without reliable electricity. It’s model lets customers use the systems as a service, rather than buying them outright – with affordable prices and good maintenance included.
Plymouth Energy Community creates warm, energy-efficient homes – and locally owned solar power – for the city’s residents. Its diverse work benefits people who don’t have a voice in the energy system, but are affected by its inherent unfairness: lowering their fuel bills and generating funds for good causes.
Riverlution protects and restores waterways across Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and beyond, while making sure skills and qualifications flow to local people. Their work tackles rising flood risks exacerbated by climate change, and creates opportunities for those who are marginalised or excluded.
Frontier Markets is a tech-enabled social commerce platform, built for rural India, by rural women. It has supported more than 40,000 women entrepreneurs to sell a wide range of products and services – from solar lamps to climate insurance.
Panels of expert judges have a key role in our awards process – examining the entries, interviewing the people behind them, and debating who should be honoured with a prize.
We’d like to thank the fantastic judges helping us this year. They include academics, investors, experts from civil society, journalists, business leaders, and former winners.
We offer a range of packages, from those valued at £2,000 to sponsorship of individual awards.
To find out more please contact Lucy Blackburn.
Lucy.Blackburn@ashden.org
Become a climate champion, help climate pioneers thrive, take action together and be kept informed about climate solutions from across the world.
We’ve helped past winners and finalists earn investment and global media coverage, and connect with policymakers, partners and funders. The Ashden Awards are free to enter, and offer a cash prize of up to £25,000. We’re proud to create opportunities for our innovators years after their award win, through the Ashden network.
Entries for this year’s awards are now closed, but you can already register your interest for our 2024 prizes.
Our policy work creates opportunities for proven climate solutions, including those discovered through our awards, to thrive. Insights gathered through the awards give us a unique and valuable perspective on tackling the biggest climate challenges.
This site uses cookies to provide you with the best user experience. By using the Ashden website, you accept our use of cookies.