Momentum for Change

Need some inspiration? Take a look at these 16 game-changing climate action initiatives from around the world! These projects were today announced as winners of the prestigious United Nations’ Momentum for Change climate change award.

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Smartphones to carbon fees

Winning activities include Fairphone https://www.mygreenpod.com/articles/fairphone-2/, which is a seriously cool smartphone that puts social values first, and the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative, which is enabling 40 Latin American cities to take concrete climate action.

Other inspiring projects include Microsoft’s Internal Carbon Fee, which holds its business units financially responsible for reducing their carbon emissions.

Intro by Mark Ruffalo

Mobilising action

The Momentum for Change initiative is spearheaded by the UN Climate Change secretariat to draw attention to some of the most innovative, scalable and replicable examples of what people are doing to address climate change.

Today’s announcement is part of wider efforts to mobilise action and ambition as national governments work towards adopting a new universal climate agreement in Paris.

‘With less than 35 days to go until the climate change conference in Paris, the Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activities are further compelling proof that climate action is building worldwide and in countries, communities, companies and cities everywhere.

‘By showcasing these remarkable solutions and the people behind them we can strengthen efforts toward that new agreement, accelerate the global transition to a low-carbon, highly resilient development path and mark a turning point in the sustainable management of planet Earth for the seven billion alive today and the ten billion by 2050.’

Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary

Winners

Each of the 16 winning activities touches on one of Momentum for Change’s four focus areas: Urban Poor, Women for Results, Financing for Climate Friendly Investment and ICT Solutions.

All 16 will be showcased at a series of special events during the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, France (30 November to 11 December).

Azuri PayGo Energy

Innovating pay-as-you-go energy systems for rural homes


Azuri PayGo Energy has combines solar and mobile phone technology to bring clean energy to people living in Sub‐Saharan Africa. The pay‐as‐you‐go solar home system provides eight hours of emission‐free lighting each day and enough power to charge mobile phones.

ChargePoint Electric Vehicle Charging Corridors

Building a network of electric vehicle express charging stations


ChargePoint’s Electric Vehicle Charging Corridors, the world’s largest EV charging network, is transforming the transportation industry by providing the charging stations, mobile app and the network that allow people to charge their cars everywhere they go.

Deforestation-free Cocoa

Using a carbon-asset-backed loan to protect forests and produce cocoa


The Deforestation-free Cocoa project follows a ‘payment for performance’ model: farmers receive financing on the condition that they won’t deforest further, will restore 4,000 hectares of degraded land in the buffer zone with cocoa‐based agroforestry systems, and that a share of revenues from cocoa sales will go to investors.

Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative

Supporting sustainable growth in emerging cities

The Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative is tackling climate change by creating planning tools and action plans to put Latin American cities on a low-carbon, highly resilient pathway.