Former US Vice President and founder of The Climate Reality Project, Al Gore, has presented the Alfredo Sirkis Memorial Green Ring Award to Kenyan climate communicator and grassroots organiser, Risper Asembo, at the conclusion of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in Nairobi, Kenya.  

The Green Ring Award is one of the highest honours given by The Climate Reality Project, recognising Climate Reality Leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to climate education and advocacy.  

Born and raised in Budalang’i constituency, one of Kenya’s most flood-prone regions, Risper Asembo has seen the direct impacts of climate change on communities. 

Her climate leadership journey began in 2015 with a tree-planting initiative led by the East African Wildlife Society.  

Since then, she has taken on leadership roles with organisations like the Young African Leaders Initiative, Greenpeace Africa, and most notably, Beyond the Trails Kenya, a youth-led organisation she founded to advance climate literacy and conservation among young people.  

After completing her Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in 2021, Risper expanded her advocacy efforts across Kenya. One of her flagship initiatives is the Plant for the Planet, School Edition project in Siaya County, supported by the African Climate Reality Project.  

The programme planted 100 fruit trees and trained over 60 students, teachers and local leaders in tree planting, composting, and conservation.  

It also strengthened school environmental clubs and encouraged the integration of climate education into school curricula.  

In addition to her grassroots work, Risper continues to engage in national and international climate dialogues. 

She has been recognised for her contributions, receiving the Eric Hosking Trust Award in 2021 and the Amplify Her Voice Grant in 2024.  

Through her initiatives, she continues to centre youth, women, and vulnerable communities while building long-term climate resilience.  

“Risper Asembo is exactly the kind of leader this moment demands… bold, resilient, and relentlessly committed to building a better future,” said Phyllis Cuttino, president and CEO of The Climate Reality Project. Cuttino observed that through her work, Risper is planting knowledge, building movements and creating lasting change in communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.  

“Her leadership embodies the very spirit of the Green Ring Award, and we are honoured to celebrate her.”  

The Green Ring Award closed three days of training in Nairobi, the 59th Climate Reality Leadership Corps training, the first to be held in Kenya.  

The event brought together climate advocates from across East Africa and beyond to build skills in climate communication, policy, and grassroots organising, with a focus on clean energy access, green industrialisation, and climate finance.  

The Climate Reality Project aims to recruit, train, and mobilise passionate climate advocates from across the region. They join a global network of more than 3.8 million supporters worldwide.