13.01.2010
The announcement of the Big Green Challenge winners ends weeks of anticipation.
At an inspirational and fully packed event this afternoon, Lord David Puttnam (NESTA's founding chair and Chairman, Joint Committee on the Draft Climate Change Bill), Tim Smit (Chief Executive and co-founder of the Eden Project) and Nick Starr (Executive Director of the National Theatre and one of the Big Green Challenge judges) joined the finalists, members of the media and NESTA staff to hear who had won the £1 million award. Many faced battles with snow in order to make the ceremony, with two of the finalists from Wales setting out 24 hours earlier to get there!
After a rousing speech from Tim on how organisations tackling climate change can increase their momentum, Lord Puttnam announced that the prize would be divided between four of the finalists: runner-up Low Carbon West Oxford received £100,000 and three winners, The Green Valleys, Household Energy Service, Ludlow and Isle of Eigg each received £300,000.
NESTA's CEO Jonathan Kestenbaum talked about how the economic climate had changed in a way no one could have anticipated when the Big Green Challenge was announced two years ago and why this meant that the need for radical solutions delivered in a practical way had never been greater. "I am convinced that communities will be at the heart of the way we deal with many social challenges," he said also praising all of the finalists as a "source of amazement and inspiration."
Finalists Jane Riddiford of Global Generation and John Hutchison from the Isle of Eigg spoke on behalf of the finalists. They thanked NESTA for allowing them the freedom to develop their own ideas rather than taking part in a 'tick box' exercise and highlighting the power of communities to move more quickly than government and enthuse the political classes with the strength of their convictions.
Lord Puttnam concluded the day's event with heartfelt praise for all the finalists and a rallying call for strong leadership, in order to create "a genuine green economy."
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