Q: When were the Awards created and what was the motivation behind this initiative?
A: The awards were established in 2001 by Sarah Butler-Sloss who recognised the need to reward and promote sustainable energy schemes worldwide – many of which were undiscovered and unrecognised at the time.

Q: The Ashden Awards have so far helped over 100 innovative projects develop their work. In what way?
A: By promoting their work through the awards scheme and by providing ongoing support in the form of business support, contacts, networking opportunities, leveraging funds and offering ways to help them influence policy.

Q: Why are the Awards considered as a reference for ‘excellence in the field of sustainable energy’?
A: The awards process is extremely rigorous and the organisations who apply find this very challenging and valuable. This also means that we ensure the organisations who are short listed are of an exceptionally high standard.

Q: Do these projects have a direct effect on current thinking and policy on sustainable energy solutions? Have any of these projects been implemented in government policy? For example, in the British government?
A: We provide seminars and policy forums for our winners that give them the chance to talk to policy makers directly, and put their case for the changes that are needed. Both our UK and international support programmes have produced research for policymakers, based on the evidence and experience of winners and in the UK in particular, we have excellent high level contacts with the relevant government departments. Right now we are holding our first Indian event where 10 Indian Ashden Award winners are presenting their work to the India business sector and top level government representatives from the UK and India.

Q: Are these Awards just a means for projects to acquire funding for the short term, or do the Awards carry out a follow-up programme?
A: The winners are given a cash prize to help them expand their work but as I mentioned above, they also receiving follow up support through our support programme.

Q: Where do the Ashden Awards get their funding?
A: Several organisations including the UK’s Department for International Development and a range of trusts and foundations. Ashden Awards Circle members also contribute £5,000 year.

Q: How do these projects help ‘lift people out of poverty, generate green shoots for economic growth and mitigate climate change’?
A: In the developing world our winners are running improved stoves programmes, solar energy schemes for villages and many other simple and affordable technologies like biogas and micro hydro. These bring clean and reliable electricity to rural communities, often for the first time, boost income generation and allow children to study in the evenings. In the UK too we select winners that are having a social impact such as insulation schemes that reduce fuel poverty. Sustainable energy can mitigate climate change by reducing CO2 emissions from fossil fuels by using clean energy sources, and by reducing deforestation.

YH: Juliet, thank-you for holding this interview.

• There is a special category for schools, international and UK applicants. To learn more, visit the Ashden Awards site here.
• To find out who are on the judging panels, click here.
•  Download the 2010 international call for entries below or click here to download the UK call for entries.

Juliet Heller is the Press and PR Manager for The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, UK.