Delhi-based environment group bags United Nation's climate award

An Indian environment group was awarded this year's UN Climate Solutions Awards for their work with waste pickers and e-waste to tackle climate change.

The prestigious award was bagged by Delhi-based Chintan group for its project 'E-waste: From Toxic to Green' which revolves around preventing greenhouse gas emissions due to mass burning of electronic waste in Delhi NCR while promoting green livelihoods for urban waste-pickers. The group's model to fight climate change was chosen as the best among 16 other initiatives presented from across the globe.

Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21), the Momentum for Change spearheaded by the UNFCCC Secretariat recognizes innovative and transformative solutions that address both climate change and wider economic, social and environmental challenges.

"The project is about forming strategic partnerships with the formal and informal sector to channelize e-waste safely. By doing this, Chintan ensures that the hazardous dismantling of e-waste is stopped and safer practices are adopted, and safeguarding both the environment and livelihoods. Chintan has mitigated climate change by preventing e-waste from being burned and creating incentives for it from the collection by urban waste pickers for recycling," it was said in an official statement.

Chintan said that it has trained more than 2,000 workers to collect about 25 tons of e-waste every year for safe disposal. This offers a unique last mile service to households and ensures that the waste is recycled rather than being burned.

Winning initiatives, called 'Lighthouse Activities' highlight some of the most innovative and scalable examples of what people are doing to address climate change. All the 16 initiatives will be showcased at a series of special events during the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 11.