Every year, the Ashden Awards spotlight inclusive climate solutions – initiatives that not only cut emissions and prepare communities for climate threats, but also create a fairer world.  

This year’s six winners were recognised for their exemplary work advancing clean energy across the UK and the Global South. The Awards celebrated innovators from the public, private and non-profit sectors. 

Speakers at the London ceremony included UK Climate Envoy Rachel Kyte, and Ugandan climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate. The host was BBC World Service presenter Myra Anubi. 

All winners were selected through a rigorous assessment and judging process. Winners become part of the Ashden alumni network, receiving ongoing support to scale their work, and opportunities to build connections with funders, investors and climate sector leaders. Champions from the last three years alone have reached over 40 million people with transformative products, services, and support. 

All of this year’s winners focused on the key theme of the first Ashden Awards 25 years ago – clean energy. The winning organisations operate in the UK, Nigeria, Kenya (distributing across Africa), and India (distributing across Asia and Africa) and were chosen for their innovative solutions in community solar energy, solar minigrids, clean cooking, retrofitting of buildings and energy efficiency. All have initiated innovative financial solutions to their business models, working with banks, local and national governments, and local communities.  

Scaling solutions for a just climate future 

Ashden CEO Dr Ashok Sinha said: 

“For 25 years, the Ashden Awards have championed climate solutions that improve lives now and build a fairer, safer future – over the years the awards have highlighted organisations supporting clean energy, sustainable buildings and transport, school decarbonisation, and protecting nature.  

Improvements to health is a key co-benefit of many of the projects; several of the 2025 Global South winners are collaborating with health institutions and governments to provide solar to power life-saving equipment, and in the UK, winning organisations facilitating the retrofit of buildings or providing cheaper clean energy, are dramatically reducing fuel costs as well as improving living conditions which reduce health issues in cold properties.  

“Within a decade of launching the awards, we began creating programmes to offer deeper support and opportunities to winners – including the Powering Clean Energy Investment programme in Africa and the Energy Learning Network in the UK,” says Dr Sinha. “Since then, these initiatives and others have helped amplify their impact and unlock policy and finance shifts for them and their peers.” 

The Ashden Award winners this year showcase proven climate solutions delivering tangible social and economic benefits. By backing ambitious, inclusive initiatives that reflect local priorities, Ashden promotes a just transition rooted in community needs. 

“In a world often clouded by fear and frustration, these inspiring organisations offer bold, practical visions that can unite people across political and cultural divides,” said Dr Sinha. 

“Without exception, Ashden winners combine passion for a better world with a unique ability to deliver real-world change.” 

The ceremony took place during Great Big Green Week – the UK’s largest celebration of climate action and nature protection and many of the winners will be sharing their insights at London Climate Action Week later this month.  

The six 2025 Ashden Award Winners 

Three winners were awarded for their work powering clean energy in Africa and India, and three for their work supporting clean community energy and energy-efficient homes in the UK.  

The headline sponsor of the 2025 Ashden Awards is LinkedIn, and other sponsors include Downing, The Linbury Trust, Impax Asset Management and NextEnergy Foundation The Waterloo Foundation and The Mark Leonard Trust. The knowledge partner is BloombergNEF. 

UK winners: 

• 2025 Ashden Award for Outstanding Achievement: Repowering London – transforming clean community energy in London, training young people, and innovating to help communities raise funds for their solar projects.  
• 2025 Ashden Award for Outstanding Achievement: Cotality (formerly Parity Projects) – Cotality’s data tools and services help housing providers, local authorities, homeowners and others create warm, energy efficient homes. 
• 2025 Ashden Award for Breaking Barriers (UK), supported by Impax Asset Management: Emergent Energy – Emergent works with councils and landlords to help social housing tenants, and others living in blocks of flats, generate energy and financial savings through rooftop solar. 

Global South winners: 

• 2025 Ashden Award for Outstanding Achievement: BURN Manufacturing, Kenya (operating Africa-wide) – BURN’s efficient and affordable cookstoves have protected the health of 28 million people, while also reducing household fuel costs, emissions and deforestation.
• 2025 Ashden Award for Outstanding Achievement: SELCO, India – SELCO’s products and support have brought solar energy to households, small businesses and hospitals. With solutions tailored to the needs marginalised communities, its impact has reached at least 8 million people.  
• 2025 Ashden Award for Breaking Barriers (Global South), supported by NextEnergy Foundation: Sosai Renewable Energies, Nigeria – Sosai supports women to become clean energy entrepreneurs, with solar minigrids and work to break down gender barriers. 

In the years ahead, Ashden’s Global South programmes will support at least 40 organisations, creating impact from refugee camps to tropical forests, while working to reform international climate finance. 

In the UK, Ashden will continue to bring funding, training and policy support to hundreds of councils and community groups, and to schools through its Let’s Go Zero campaign – a nationwide push for all UK schools, colleges and nurseries to become zero carbon.