The Climate Technology Initiative 2000 World Climate Technology and Leadership Awards

From solar houses in remote South Africa to high-efficiency motors in Brazil, the CTI Award Winners cover the globe

The Climate Technology Initiative’s Awards Programme recognises outstanding achievements in the deployment of climate-friendly technologies. An awards ceremony on 21 November in The Hague, Netherlands, will honour the winners for their demonstrated leadership in accelerating the spread of environmentally-sound technologies and practices.

The winners of the 2000 CTI Climate Technology Leadership Award are:

• Zhou Dadi, Founder and First Executive Director of the Beijing Energy Efficiency Center (BECon), People’s Republic of China for promoting energy efficiency and by transforming the delivery of energy services in China. BECon is a local source of expertise on the technical, financial and institutional aspects of energy efficiency.
• Paulo Cezar Coelho, Vice-President of Companhia Energética de Pernambuco (CELPE) – Iberdrola, Brazil for establishing Brazil’s National Program of Energy Conservation (PROCEL) and building markets for many new energy-efficiency technologies. PROCEL has helped create markets for compact fluorescent lamps, electronic ballasts, high efficiency motors, solar water heaters and other technologies.
• Igor Bashmakov, Director, Center for Energy Efficiency, Russia for establishing institutions throughout the Russian Federation specialising in energy efficiency, and in enhancing public education on energy and climate change. Since 1992, Mr. Bashmakov has helped set up more than 40 energy-efficiency institutions in Russia.

The winners of the 2000 CTI World Climate Technology Award are:

• Eskom-Shell Solar Home Systems Ltd., South Africa for providing electricity to remote domestic customers in South Africa. Eskom-Shell is installing stand-alone photovoltaic panels with a specially designed battery enclosure that incorporates a battery, controller and a card reader.
• The Energy Programme of Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) – Peru Office for the transfer of clean energy technologies to remote communities in Peru, capacity building in the industrial and consultancy sectors and the establishment of innovative financing mechanisms. ITDG has developed an innovative “credit model” for local governments and small businessmen to install hydro electric energy schemes in rural communities.
• Econoler International, Canada for developing the concept of Energy Service Companies in economies in transition and developing countries and for removing market barriers to energy efficiency. Energy service companies act under energy performance contracts through which they pay for the investments and recover their investment through the saved energy. Econoler International has been a pioneer in this growing delivery mechanism for delivering energy efficiency.

These prestigious awards will be presented at a ceremony at 18.00 on 21 November 2000 by:

Michael Zammit Cutajar, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Secretariat
Bjorn Stigson, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Robert Priddle, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency

Environment Minister Jan Pronk of the Netherlands has been invited for a keynote speech.

The ceremony will be held at the Climate Tech2000 Pavilion adjacent to the conference facilities for the COP 6 conference UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in The Hague, Netherlands (Catsheuvel 30, Den Haag).

A multimedia display of past winners and awards ceremonies, are available on the CTI website at http://www.ClimateTech.net. In the coming months, criteria and applications for the 2001 CTI Awards round will be available on the website. Nominations for individuals or organisations who deserve recognition for outstanding work in climate-friendly technology transfer are encouraged.

About the Climate Technology Initiative

The Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) is an organisation of 23 countries and the European Commission. Its mission is to support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in its efforts to achieve stabilisation of the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG). In support of this goal, the CTI aggressively pursues a series of R&D, capacity-building and technology-enhancing activities CTI seeks to accelerate development and diffusion of technologies and practices which emit less GHG than those currently in use and are consistent with sustainable development.