Meet the 2017 Climate & Clean Air Award Winners

The 2017 Climate and Clean Air Awards were announced on November 12th at a ceremony at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany (COP23). The awards recognize exceptional contributions and actions to implement projects, programmes, policies and practices that reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – black carbon, methane, hydrofluorocarbons and tropospheric ozone.

This year the awards were given out in four categories.

Individual Achievement

    
Sameer Maithel

For his work to reduce black carbon emissions from brick kilns in India

By helping install cleaner, more efficient brick kiln technologies, Mr. Maithel has demonstrated that significant emission reductions of black carbon can be achieved by retrofitting and converting existing kilns, benefitting workers, owners, and the environment.

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Outstanding Policy

     
National Petroleum Authority of Ghana

For putting in place strong measures to reduce vehicle emissions

Ghana is the first West African country to move to low-sulfur diesel and with a new sulfur content standard of 50 parts per million (ppm), down from 3,000 ppm.

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State of California

For putting the most comprehensive and strongest set of targets for reducing short-lived climate pollutant emissions into state law

The work of the California Air Resources Board and State Legislature, under the leadership of Governor Edmund Gerald Brown Jr, has created an enabling environment for clean energy industries and businesses to flourish.

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Transformative Action

    
The International Council on Clean Transportation

For its initiative to conduct checks of real-world emissions of diesel cars in the United States 

This work uncovered a global scheme by Volkswagen to deliberately avoid motor vehicle standards. The scandal continues to reverberate in the auto industry and has raised global awareness of the impact of diesel vehicles on air quality.

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Innovative Technology

   
Öresundskraft Kraft & Varme AB

For using sea water and absorption cooling technology to cool downtown Helsingborg, Sweden

The District Cooling expansion project shows that there are alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and offers a sustainable, competitive, and need-driven cooling service to customers on a city-wide scale.

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Honorary Awards

    
Marcelo Mena Carrasco

For his work to reduce air pollution in Chile

Under Mr. Carrasco’s leadership, Chile created “Plans of Prevention and Decontamination of Atmospheric Pollution (PPDA)” for 14 cities. Implementing these plans has led to significant reductions in air pollution and has made Chile a global leader in actions to improve air quality.

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Durban (eThekwini) Municipality

For its Durban Landfill Conservancies project

This successful landfill reduces emissions of methane, provides safe waste disposal, produces electricity for the local grid and employs workers from the surrounding communities.

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About the Awards

The Climate and Clean Air Awards recognize exceptional contributions by individuals or groups to reduce short-lived climate pollutants - black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone and hydrofluorocarbons.

Fast action to reduce these pollutants is key to improving air quality and slowing the rate of climate change and also provides multiple benefits for health, ecosystems and the sustainable development goals. 

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