Shining a light on the tremendous success that has been growing over the last decade, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres opened the 2014 Lighthouse Awards celebration, while Latin rock star Charly Alberti served as Master of Ceremonies.
The message is that of hope - hope for today, hope for change, and hope for our future.
In his opening remarks, Ban continued his message of the need for urgency, for a document coming out of COP20 that provides a foundation for negotiations in Paris (COP21), committing to continued funding of the Green Climate Fund, and ambitious commitments by countries to emission reduction. He described the Lighthouse Awards as "... a beacon of hope for the world,"
Christiana Figueres followed with praise for those that are fighting hard for adaptation and mitigation through the projects that were highlighted as 2014 Lighthouse awards. "The Lighthouse Activities highlight the transformative power of entrepreneurial citizens and communities across the globe," said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres.
What followed was one inspirational story after another, including a billion-dollar solar energy company started from humble beginnings by a determined woman in Thailand, a Latin American microfinance initiative that is providing resources across the region, and a market of climate-friendly homes in Africa that is improving lives.
Momentum for Change was created by the UN Climate Change secretariat to highlight some of the best examples of climate solutions, and to use as a tool to inspire increased climate action around the world.
The 2014 Lighthouse Activity winners honored at the evenings event are:
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Celebrating Momentum!!
According to the press release:
The message is that of hope - hope for today, hope for change, and hope for our future.
In his opening remarks, Ban continued his message of the need for urgency, for a document coming out of COP20 that provides a foundation for negotiations in Paris (COP21), committing to continued funding of the Green Climate Fund, and ambitious commitments by countries to emission reduction. He described the Lighthouse Awards as "... a beacon of hope for the world,"
Christiana Figueres followed with praise for those that are fighting hard for adaptation and mitigation through the projects that were highlighted as 2014 Lighthouse awards. "The Lighthouse Activities highlight the transformative power of entrepreneurial citizens and communities across the globe," said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres.
What followed was one inspirational story after another, including a billion-dollar solar energy company started from humble beginnings by a determined woman in Thailand, a Latin American microfinance initiative that is providing resources across the region, and a market of climate-friendly homes in Africa that is improving lives.
Momentum for Change was created by the UN Climate Change secretariat to highlight some of the best examples of climate solutions, and to use as a tool to inspire increased climate action around the world.
The 2014 Lighthouse Activity winners honored at the evenings event are:
• Bhungroo | India: Building agricultural resilience by harvesting rainwater.
• Building Storm-Resistant Houses | Vietnam: Increasing people's resilience to climate change.
• Community-Based Flood Early-Warning System | India: Protecting people from floods using ICT solutions.
• Earth Roofs in the Sahel Program | Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Senegal: Improving lives by building climate friendly homes.
• EcoMicro | Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru: Unlocking resources for climate action.
• Ibu Inspirasi | Indonesia: Empowering women with green jobs and clean technologies.
• Lighten the Energy Bill | Africa, Asia-Pacific, Western Europe: Saving energy through innovative financing.
• National Resettlement Plan | Uruguay: Resettling families to adapt to climate change.
• Resolve: Trash2Cash | India: Empowering communities to address climate change.
• SmartSense | India, Malaysia: Reducing energy consumption in real time.
• Solar Power Company Group | Thailand: Leading a women-empowered solar energy transformation.
• Zurich Flood Resilience Program | Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Peru: Enhancing flood resilience through insurance expertise.
According to the press release:
"The 2014 Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activities were selected by a 25-member international advisory panel as part of the secretariat's Momentum for Change initiative, which is implemented with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation, and operates in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative."