A Karnataka-based NGO is one among eight finalists for the UK-based green energy prize, the Ashden Awards.
Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) at Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka has been selected as a finalist.
Other finalists are from Peru, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Africa and Afghanistan.
A press release said here that the finalists will compete for over £1,20,000 prize money. The winners will be announced in London on May 30.
It said that SKDRDP provides affordable loans to families in its area, helping them buy renewable energy systems that improve their quality of life.
The SKDRDP-promoted self-help groups help people make informed choices on what energy products they buy.
It said that SKDRDP has so far provided nearly 20,000 energy loans.
Quoting the Founder-Director of Ashden, Ms Sarah Butler-Sloss, the release said: “Ensuring the poor have access to finance for sustainable energy technology will be a key factor in achieving the UN's goal of ensuring universal access to modern energy services by 2030.
“SKDRDP is a perfect example of how an organisation, which encourages people to take responsibility for their finances, can play a major role towards achieving this aim.”
The release also said that in this International Year for Sustainable Energy for All, the finalists are leading the way in showing how progress on cutting carbon can go hand-in-hand with improving livelihoods, empowering women and improving health and education outcomes.
“We are committed to helping our winners grow even further and sharing the lessons they have learned so they can be replicated far and wide,” Ms Sarah Butler-Sloss said.
The Ashden Awards were founded in 2001 to encourage the greater use of local sustainable energy to address climate change and alleviate poverty. Since then award winners have improved the lives of 33 million people worldwide, the release said.