An Indian organisation that leverages tourism and technology to help remote communities access solar energy has won a prestigious UN award for its efforts to combat climate change amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) is among the winners of the 2020 UN Global Climate Action Award. GHE is one of the world’s first organisations using tourism and technology to bring solar energy to remote communities.
According to a statement on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) website, GHE is the one of the world’s first outfit using tourism and technology to bring solar energy to remote communities as recognised by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
GHE conducts “Impact Expeditions” to remote Himalayan villages and uses a portion of the expedition fee to fund the capital cost of the hardware, transportation, installation and training of village-scale solar micro-grids. The micro-grid infrastructure set up by GHE is owned and operated by the community. They have solar electrified more than 131 villages in three regions of India, directly impacting the lives of more than 60,000 villagers. More than 1,300 travellers from 60 different countries have been a part of these expeditions.
Enabling livelihood through homestay tourism has generated over USD 1,14,000 in income for the villages, which represents 45% increase in annual household income. UNFCCC said this year’s award-winning projects demonstrate leadership on climate change by nations, businesses, investors, cities, regions and civil societies as a whole. They range from the Caribbean’s only carbon-neutral hotel to the world’s first platform fully dedicated to green bonds to the first all-women solar team in Lebanon.
Congratulating the winners of the 2020 UN Global Climate Action Awards, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the winners provide tangible proof that climate action is underway around the world. “It is exciting to see these climate solutions, which reinforce my call for decisive leadership on climate change by governments, businesses and cities, and for a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Let us keep pressing ahead to build a more sustainable and equitable future for all,” he said.
The award announcement is part of the wider effort to mobilise action and ambition as national governments work toward implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2020 winning activities were selected by an international advisory panel as part of the UN Climate Change’s Momentum for Change initiative.
