UN environment chief kicks off Solar Soccer Cup Final

The United Nations environment chief Achim Steiner helped to kick off the final of the Solar Soccer Cup at the Philips Community Lighting Centre near Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday.

Mr Steiner joined youth in Mathare, an informal settlement on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, and Philips Lighting Africa CEO Tamer Abolghar introduced the final match of the tournament.

The match, the final for the Under-15 boy’s teams, was played in the early evening under LED outdoor lighting powered by a solar power unit, highlighting the positive impact of after-dark lighting on community activity.

Mr Steiner said: "Having access to sustainable and reliable lighting after dark changes the complexion of a community entirely. The activities that can be conducted in a public space after night falls can help build social cohesion and stronger communal bonds. We have seen what it means to Mathare, but a soccer tournament is just one example.”

Mr Steiner added: “Markets and businesses can operate outdoors, and citizens feel safer socializing in public spaces. That the lighting is solar-powered, and therefore sustainable and reliable, means communities can enjoy these benefits without worry of scarcity or effects of pollution."

Dutch electronics giant Philips Lighting organised the tournament to mark the successful implementation of more than 100 Philips Community Light Centers (CLCs) at football pitches in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Local coaches at CLCs, In partnership with Dutch football association KNVB's WorldCoaches programme, have delivered training for local people in both soccer and life skills, covering issues including crime, health and gender equality.