Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (RD)
Beltangady, Jun 1: Ashden Sustainable Solutions, better lives, announced winners of the world’s leading green energy prizes at a prestigious ceremony at the London-based Royal Geographical Society on Wednesday May 30, addressed by Dr Kandeh Yumkella, director general, UNIDO and chair of UN – Energy, a global crusader for increasing access to energy for the poor.
South India based Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), located at Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, a microfinance provider in rural India that helps poor people invest in renewable energy, bagged the overall ‘Gold Award’.
Other winners are a community-owned micro-hydro programme in Indonesia (IBEKA); a micro-hydro programme in remote Afganistan (GIZ/INTEGRATION), an energy-saving water filter in Cambodia (iDE/Hydrologic), and an affordable solar power provider (Barefoot Power) that’s lighting up lives in East Africa.
SKDRDP is a prime example of the vital role a well-run microfinance organization can play in meeting the poor’s energy needs. The Karnataka-based NGO provides affordable loans to families in the area, helping them buy renewable energy systems that improve their quality of life. Key to the success of this highly replicable programme, which has so far provided nearly 20,000 energy loans, are 1,69,000 self-help-groups that help people make informed choices on what energy products they buy.
The Ashden judges said, “SKDRDP is fantastic example of how ethically managed microfinance can deliver sustainable energy to the poor, demonstrating that providing consumer loans for energy makes sound social, environmental, and economic sense. We were bowled over by the scale SKDRDP has achieved so far, along with the responsibility it takes for lending to the poor, nurturing users to take out effective loans. SKDRDP has huge potential to expand its work even further, and to inspire many others to follow its lead.”
Dr Yumkella, in his keynote address, urged governments around the world to increase their support for clean energy pioneers. “The Ashden 2012 winners are exposing the myth that poor countries cannot stimulate growth without degrading the environment. They are demonstrating that sustainable energy stimulates green growth and new jobs, lifts people out of poverty, improves health, and opens up new educational opportunities,” he said.
“The decisions that will be taken at Rio in June will carry consequences for generations to come. Governments around the world must act urgently to agree to the right policies and investment incentives that nurture these and other sustainable energy champions, before it’s too late,” added Dr Yumkella.
Ashden founder director Sarah Butler–Sloss said, “In this uncertain world our winners offer a beacon of hope showing that access to sustainable energy offers a clear route out of poverty for millions of people around the world. We’re committed to sharing the lessons they have learned so they can be replicated far and wide.”