Our Impact
Ashden accelerates climate action
Our impact includes wider access to affordable clean energy in Africa, and support for UK schools to become zero carbon.
Ashden works in partnership to back entrepreneurs, boost green jobs, and engage citizens in climate action. We give politicians the tools to take action, and investors the confidence to step up. Powerful storytelling is at the heart of what we do.
Our revenue has grown 3x since the Ashden Award… it provided Sokofresh with great publicity that has built investor confidence in the company.”
Denis Karema, CEO, SokoFresh, Ashden Award winner 2022
Support from Ashden’s Fair Cooling Fund was crucial to Ecozen – it allowed our business to withstand the impact of coronavirus, and to develop a new product bringing sustainable cooling to low-income farmers.”
Devendra Gupta, CEO, Ecozen, Ashden Award winner 2018
Our work has four key elements: discover, amplify, scale, connect.
Discover
We dig deep to find the most exciting, inclusive climate innovators – from the public, private and non-profit sectors.
We uncover off-the-radar organisations. Pioneers like Uganda’s Patapia (link), helping women in refugee camps raise their incomes with solar power.
We take a rigorous and holistic look at climate innovation. Our staff and award judges consider everything from emissions cuts to economic and social impact. This helps us back great solutions, grounded in local communities.
We’re a trusted source of great solutions. That’s why the UK Government, Earthshot Prize and others have drawn on our discovery work.
Amplify
Ashden’s storytelling wins backing for innovators, and inspires ambition and action from policymakers, funders and investors.
We promoted climate solutions in 1,259 media stories in 2023.
This coverage included features in globally titles and those covering key sectors, such as philanthropy and the energy industry.
We make powerful short films – one unlocked grants worth £55,000 for award-winnerYICE Uganda.
That film alerted a philanthropic donor to YICE’s brilliant work – showing the impact of our engaging, inspiring storytelling.
We’re amplifying the voice of more than 3,200 UK schools, as they call for support to become zero carbon by 2030.
And we’re working with government to make sure their calls are answered. Those schools have joined our Let’s Go Zero campaign – which also brings them free advice, access to funding opportunities, and more.
With events and media engagement, we shonea light on African climate innovation at COP28 – the world’s biggest climate summit.
Our storytelling was part of Power Up: an Ashden-led coalition campaign supporting access to clean, affordable energy.
Connect
By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, Ashden speeds the journey to a zero-carbon future.
32 local Let’s Go Zero Climate Action Advisors connect UK schools with free sustainability advice, resources and opportunities, helping them lower their carbon emissions and inspire their students. Their input has helped schools secure external funding worth tensof thousands of pounds for solar panels, outdoor classrooms and more.
Our learning networks, webinars and ‘seeing is believing’ tours have equipped many hundreds of council officers and their allies to deliver ambitious, inclusive climate action.
Scale
Ashden helps climate innovators and project grow – by connecting them with sources of finance, and through our own grants and development support.
Our support helped sustainable cooling pioneer Ecozen secure a $25 million investment.
Our Pitch the Future programme will boost a cohort of energy access organisations – equipping them to attract investment and grow their impact.
Our Zero Carbon Fund has given five £100,000 grants to support high-impact school decarbonisation across UK. From sustainable food programmes to green building upgrades.
Our Thriving Forests programme will empower Indigenous communities to safeguard more than one million hectares of territory – boosting its ability to absorb carbon emissions.
Our Sharing Spaces programme is helping community organisations turn eight of London’s underused buildings – from community halls to former cinemas – into hubs of climate action.
Partnering for impact
Partnering for impact Our impact relies on partnership with committed, mission-aligned funders and supporters. Partners who believe in inclusive solutions for a fairer world, and who are keen to benefit from insights and analysis, and connection to exciting climate innovation.
Interested in partnership?
Through our support for Ashden’s awards we have helped to back some of the UK’s most innovative early-stage companies, and our colleagues have benefitted from many opportunities to share expertise with and learn from their peers.”
Ian Simm, Founder and Chief Executive, Impax Asset Management