Clean energy trailblazers from Africa will be at the forefront of this year’s Ashden Awards, a prestigious international award which scours the world for the most innovative initiatives implementing clean and accessible energy and natural climate solutions, according to the Kenyan news agency.

This year the awards ceremony is being held for the first time in its 21-year history in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as London.

Africa once again holds a strong position, with four out of the six finalist organisations from the global south being based in Africa.

The 2022 Ashden Award Nairobi ceremony will bring to life the stories and solutions of organisations creating the work of the future, including those of African innovators boosting green skills across the continent.

The ceremony, to be held on 27 October 2022, bringing together environmental entrepreneurs, policymakers and climate experts, is being held in advance of the international climate summit COP27 (6-18 November in Egypt) in order to demonstrate low carbon solutions.

Kenyan environmentalist Wanjira Mathai will be giving the keynote speech. Other speakers include Jane Kimani, Director of East Africa Operations at Angaza, which won an Ashde Award in 2018 for its exemplary work in energy access and financing Climate Solutions; Amer Alkayed Steering Committee Member from Global Refugee Led Network; Julius Court, British Deputy High Commissioner; and Pamela Sittoni from the Nation Media Group.

The eight global south finalists are competing to win awards in categories relating to improving training and numbers of skilled workers in the energy access sector, including in agriculture and humanitarian settings. There is also a category focusing on natural climate solutions in rainforest environments. The projects have been selected for delivering innovative and scalable climate solutions and providing inspiration about the journey to zero carbon.