Award categories and criteria

ENTRIES FOR THE 2022 AWARDS ARE NOW CLOSED

Conditions of Entry:

Any person or organisation, including those directly involved with the nominated scheme or project, may submit an entry.
Each submission may be entered into no more than three categories (if entering more than one category the entry should be tailored to match the relevant category’s criteria).

By entering the Awards you are agreeing to the information you send being used in press releases, on our website and within our editorial content (however, if there are parts of the application considered confidential and for the judges eyes only, please mark clearly to this effect).

Specific conditions of entry for each category are noted below.

ESG Innovation Award

An award to recognise the delivery of new products and services designed to accelerate the delivery of ESG goals and aspirations, notably through data and digital innovation.

The successful organisation will be able to demonstrate exceptional product/service design and innovation - through data and digital solutions - to ultimately accelerate the delivery of ESG by (and not limited to) improving accessibility, transparency and comparability; deepening the understanding of risk and materiality; delivering on ESG commitments and communicating progress. Entries will be considered over a 3-to-5- year timescale, but activity during 2021/22 must be demonstrated.

Sustainable Infrastructure Award

This award celebrates the project in which a sustainability consultant has integrated ESG objectives from the outset and delivered the best outcome for a client in helping them to achieve their net zero and sustainability goals.

A successful organisation or partnership will demonstrate how it significantly improved the sustainability of an infrastructure project through a combination of stakeholder collaboration, project design and planning and project delivery. The winning project will demonstrate exceptional sustainability credentials and innovative design, providing a wide range of environmental and social benefits. Entries will be considered over a 3-to-5- year timescale, but activity during 2021/22 must be demonstrated.

Transformational Partnership Award

This award will recognise successful client-consultant partnerships who in collaborating effectively are delivering significant value and impact and accelerating positive change.

The successful entry will chart through examples and disclosures, the transformational sustainability journey of a stakeholder or organisation working in partnership with a consultancy. This transformation can be at the organisational, strategic or operational level and should highlight the strength of the partnership to deliver fundamental change. Entries will be considered over a 3-to-5- year timescale, but activity during 2021/22 must be demonstrated. The award can be entered by an individual organisation or organisations that have effectively worked with suppliers /partners, or by collective initiatives and partnerships as a whole.

Sustainability Delivery Award

The Sustainability Delivery Award will recognise the organisation who has made significant progress in fundamentally transforming its governance and business model to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The successful organisation will be able to document their transition to an organisation which has embedded sustainability within their governance from the very top to the very bottom. It should include data and disclosures to outline how the organisation’s business objectives; missions and purpose; and strategy is now aligned with sustainability, with a notable focus on the UN SDGs. Entries will be considered over a 3-to-5- year timescale, but activity during 2021/22 must be demonstrated.

Net Zero Accelerator Award

This Award will highlight the consultancy who has achieved the most in advancing both their own and/or their clients’ climate leadership journeys. Those who are ultimately ‘walking the walk’ and are going above and beyond to deliver tangible results.

The successful company should provide data, disclosures and other supporting evidence of how they are transitioning to a 1.5 degree goal and encouraging their clients to join them on that journey. It will demonstrate how they are encouraging reporting in a specific and transparent way and incentivising good performance. Demonstrable efforts to consider and address scope three emissions are needed. Entries will be considered over a 3-5 year timescale but activity in 2021/22 must be demonstrated.

Sustainability Leader of the Year

This award highlights an individual who is championing sustainability and inspiring new ideas and positive change, along with a clear commitment to long-term impact. This individual is pivotal in leading their organisation towards a more sustainable future.

The successful candidate will be able to provide evidence of how their leadership, passion and motivation has helped accelerate their company’s sustainability journey. Entries will be considered over a 3-5 year timescale but activity in 2021/22 must be demonstrated.

Rising Star Award

This award recognises the inspiring efforts and achievements of an early career sustainability and environmental professional who is driving positive change within their organisation and the wider environmental and sustainability consulting sector

Entrants must be 30 years of age or younger, or with up to 7 years of experience. Can be entered by themselves or through nomination.

Entrants will be judged on all round ability, not only on academic and work-related achievements, but also their enthusiasm for work within the sector. Entries should, in a video of 60-90 seconds (MP4) outline why they should be considered for the award, and a statement of not more than 500 words, outline the major and distinguished contributions made by the candidate to the profession; include the significance of those contributions and where possible the degree of influence the nominee had in the activity or activities given.

This Award has distinct entry criteria. Entrants must submit only the following:

Evidence of the candidate’s career achievements (this could include significant contribution to a project)
A 60-90 second video of the professional describing their key achievements and why they should be considered.

Creating Resilient & Sustainable Communities Award

This award recognises the company, initiative or project which has delivered lasting social benefits and/or environmental justice to a community(ies) in need. The winning entry will demonstrate how their efforts / projects have contributed to improving diversity, equity & inclusion in an area and the regeneration of social capital and the creation of sustainable communities.

Entries will be considered over a 3-5 year timescale but activity in 2021/22 must be demonstrated.

Sustainability M&A of the Year Award

This celebrates the M&A deal of the year which helped to substantially enhance the sustainability delivery capabilities of the acquiring organisation.

Entries will be considered for those deals which have closed between 2021 and present.