The 2023 Ashden Award for

Natural Climate Solutions

What is the Natural Climate Solutions award?

Defending and empowering Indigenous communities

Award prize: £25,000

Supported by: UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 

Around the world, indigenous peoples and local communities hold a unique power to protect and restore essential ecosystems. From forests to wetlands, these ecosystems are a key defence against climate change. But when local people are threatened – or denied the chance to make a sustainable living – our climate is threatened too. 

The Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solutions will boost work in developing countries strengthening the incomes, wellbeing and security of Indigenous peoples and local communities – allowing them to act as guardians and restorers of their lands. Indigenous people safeguard 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, but face daily threats to their way of life.  

The winner could be turning palm or soy plantation areas into sustainable productive land, helping communities restore degraded or desertified ecosystems, or supporting community forest enterprises. The winner’s work will be centred on the needs, priorities and knowledge of indigenous people and local communities. 

 

Key dates

applications open

18 January2023

Applications Closed

8 March 2023

Shortlist
announced

April2023

Finalists announced

September2023

Winners announced at award ceremony

14 november2023

The 2023 Natural Climate Solutions award

2023 finalists

CERAF-NORD supports communities around Benue National Park, and in the north of Cameroon, to restore degraded land through agroforestry.

In southern Peru, ECA-Amarakaeri supports people to earn a sustainable living, and also gives them the tools to monitor and report illegal logging and mining.

2023 shortlist

AMAN has helped 168 Indigenous groups in Indonesia map their territories and strengthen their rights, launch sustainable businesses, access clean energy, and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

This partnership is empowering Indigenous communities in Costa Rica to grow food sustainably, generate clean energy and build leadership roles for women.

Explore previous Natural Climate Solutions winners

Previous Natural Climate Solutions award winners provide excellent examples of replicable models supporting indigenous communities to play a central role in the restoration of degraded land and be properly remunerated for their work and expertise:

2022 Natural Climate Solutions Award winner

This NGO has been working with indigenous communities in Indonesian Borneo to reverse illegal logging and deforestation for more than 15 years.

2021 Natural Climate Solutions Award winner

A community-based NGO network working with rainforest communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to make a sustainable living though agriculture and tourism.

2020 Natural Climate Solutions Award winner

This indigenous-led organisation is doing critical work supporting the livelihoods and valuing the skills and knowledge of indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon.

Join the 2023 Ashden Awards ceremony

Tuesday 14 November 2023

Held in London and streamed online

This November, journey with us – from Liverpool to Kenya, Brecon to Peru – to meet the grassroots innovators transforming the way we work to upskill communities, supporting those most in need and protecting our planet

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