The UN Climate Change’s Momentum for Change initiative is looking to shine a light on the most innovative, scalable and replicable examples of what people around the world are doing to tackle climate change through their UN Global Climate Action Awards. If you're involved in financing climate-friendly investment, leading climate action or supporting the transition to climate neutrality, then these awards are for you. Applications close 30 April 2021.

The UN Global Climate Action Awards is an annual recognition of  innovative and transformative solutions towards climate action, spearheaded by the UN Climate Change’s Momentum for Change Initiative. Winning applicants will receive a range of benefits including: 

• Participating in COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021
• Access to policy makers and potential funders during the conference
• Public recognition by the UN Climate Change secretariat 
• Public relations support and media training and marketing materials
• A dedicated page about your project on the UN website and professional photography

Recipients of this award should embody one of the three key areas:

1. Climate neutral now: Recognising efforts by individuals, companies and governments that are achieving real results in transitioning to climate neutrality.
2. Financing for climate-friendly investment: Recognising successful financial innovations and funding mechanisms that are unlocking climate finance and building capacity.
3. Climate leaders: Recognising transformational efforts by governments at all levels (national, provincial, state, city, town) that are moving the needle on climate change. 

The second pillar, “Financing for Climate-Friendly Investment”, is of particular importance in the context of economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. As stated by the UN Climate Chief, Patricia Espinosa, “with this restart, a window of hope and opportunity opens...an opportunity for nations to green their recovery packages and shape the 21st century economy in ways that are clean, green, healthy, safe and more resilient.” 

The United Nations thus seeks to recognise work done to tackle climate change through successful financial innovations that help unlock climate finance, enable low carbon growth and foster resilient communities. 

Previous award winners 

You can view this short video on last year’s winners here. 

Past recipients of the award in the “Financing for Climate Friendly Investment'' category include the Global Himalayan Expedition initiative and the Luxembourg Green Exchange platform. The Global Himalayan Expedition is one of the world’s first organisations to combine tourism and technology to bring solar energy to remote communities in the Hindu Kush region. It conducts tourist expeditions to these villages and uses a portion of the cost to fund the hardware. While travellers initially finance these villages, village level-entrepreneurs are also trained to maintain and scale up the solar grids. 

The Luxembourg Green Exchange is a leading platform for green, social and sustainable securities with the objective to unlock sustainable capital and redirect capital flows towards sustainable investment projects.  

Where do you apply? 

If you are leading a results-driven project that is successfully addressing climate change, apply here. 

Application deadlines close on the 30 April 2021. For more information, please visit: https://unfccc.int/climate-action/GCA-awards-2021

Image: One of the world’s first organizations using the force of tourism coupled with technology to bring solar energy to remote communities (courtesy of the Global Himalayan Expedition).