Diwali, the Festival of Lights and the rise of the hunter's moon from behind the Nubble Lighthouse in Maine, USA got me recalling lighthouse projects this environmental and SDG awards season.
A lighthouse project is a small-scale, high-impact initiative designed to act as a visible example, guide, or "beacon" for broader innovation, digital transformation, or organizational change.
Beyond pilot projects, publicly recognized and nominated or awarded lighthouse projects generate a buzz and awareness about sustainable solution. Thus however limited the audience, environmental awards are great PR for sustainable solutions. The power of environmental awards such as the Earthshot Prize the the Heroes of Tomorrow goes beyond awareness, exposure and getting recognized and showcased lighthouse projects a place at the table where decisions about funds and implementation are made. The power of strong networks. Be it access to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) or ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) funds and decision makers, when lighthouse projects with sustainable solutions get recognition they get better access to become scalable.
Implementation COP: Solutions Hyperfocus
As environmental awards season gathers steam and the 31st UN Climate Summit (COP31: November 9-20, 2026) gets underway in Turkiye this first half of November it becomes important to highlight Sustainable Solutions - or at least lighthouse projects that show the effectiveness of a circular economy and sustainable development.
As the world observes Public Transport Day, day 2 at COP31 in Antalya, November 10th is also Energy and Transport Day with the push for the stated push for its Global Electrification agenda 35X35 - 35 percent electrification by 2035. Living in a city (Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) whose Metropolitan Transport Corporation won urban mobility award as well as Chennai's Metro proving the case for electrified public transport and has a fleet of electric buses where women get to travel for free, I see and benefit from efficient public transport. A commendable start as world leaders are to arrive at COP31 on 11/11, some fresh off the G20 meeting!
As some content creator tapping into the pulse of the public's ease of commute from Chennai to Metro - "I took a walk from Chennai to Bengaluru!"
Earthshot Prize 2026, Mumbai, India
There are fifteen finalists in five categories vying for the million pound Earthshot Prize 2026. In the past 5 years of the Earthshot Prize's existence (2021-) this year's host nation India has produced 7 Earthshot Prize finalists.
2026 Finalists trying to Protect and Restore Nature include the following:
- The Kingdom of Bhutan
- Australia's Indigenous Desert Alliance
- Canada's Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
The finalists trying to Fix Our Climate this year include, Pula from Kenya, Orsted from Denmark and Mahila Housing Trust from India.
In Build a Waste-Free World category the finalists are South Korea's Zero Waste Movement, PFAS-Free France and Mother Earth Foundation from The Philippines.
With Lee Jong Suk's Korean drama (Kdrama) The Remarried Empress making waves, it would be irresponsible of me not to share his screen grabs from his older kdrama Romance is a Bonus Book raising awareness about South Korea's waste problem!
In Revive Our Oceans, the finalists include USA's ZEMBA (Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance), Niue Ocean Wide Trust from the South Pacific small island nation as well as the City of Barcelona, Spain.
The following our the finallists trying to Clean Our Air include India's Mahindra Last Mile Mobility, Satellites on Fire from Argentina as well as AirQo from Uganda.
Heroes of Tomorrow
The UN SDG Action Awards, called "Heroes of Tomorrow" was held in Italy's capital Rome on October 29, 2026. Each category's winner were true examples of powerful lighthouse solutions for the SDGs. Apt that on International Internet Day the whole award ceremony was livestreamed reaching many interested in the efforts.
The 2026 Winners by Category are as follows:
• Resilience Award: Women’s
Justice Initiative (Guatemala) — A legal aid and advocacy group supporting
Indigenous Maya women and girls to access justice, prevent child marriage, and
combat gender-based violence.
• Creativity Award: Mothers of
Courage (India) — Led by Shikshaagraha (Khushboo Awasthi), this initiative
mobilizes village gatherings (Shiksha Chaupals) to engage communities and
secure pledges to keep girls in secondary school.
• Changemaker Award: Rokiatou
Traoré (Mali) — An entrepreneur honored for her work in restoring degraded
farmland and strengthening local agricultural livelihoods.
Other Finalists and Honorable Mentions include
• Resilience Finalists: Solar
Bright Future (Cameroon), Young Emerging Farmers Initiative.
• Creativity Finalists: Return
Water Home (Indonesia), Women for Change (South Africa).
• Changemaker Finalists: Ola
Alaghbary, Taban Shoresh.
• Honourable Mention: UN Trust
Fund to End Violence against Women and Girls.
BRICS Sustainable Lifestyle Week
The first week of November is BRICS Sustainable Lifestyle Week. With India having hosted the BRICS summit in these interesting times, the focus on sustainable practices ahead of COP31 is good timing. It also dovetails well with the efforts of all above mentioned winners and nominees' efforts to promore sustainable development and a sustainable world.
There are many wonderful people, organizations and initiatives trying to solve the problems plaguing our people and planet - let us seek and find them and implement them in our lives, communities, cities and countries!
