Companies face escalating environmental and social risks, and stakeholders now expect real action. This Award celebrates organisations that are not only responding but leading—those delivering measurable ROI, commercial success, and a competitive edge through clean, sustainable transformation.

The Business Transformation Award will reward the company that is taking critical steps to transform its business model in line with a clean, resilient and just future. It’s important that the entry includes data, disclosures and investments that support this systemic transformation, plus evidence of a supporting governance that aligns these changes with the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. Entries will be considered over a 2-to-5-year timescale, but activity during 2025-2026 must be demonstrated.

The award will go to a company that has developed an innovative product offering that is helping address a critical social or environmental challenge. This product or service, now part of the core business model or strategy, must challenge the status quo. The winning entry will provide data, disclosures and investments that demonstrate real positive impact from this new product offering. Entries should highlight how the product or service is both designed and delivered. Entries will be considered over a 2-to-5-year timescale, but activity during 2025- 20256 must be demonstrated.

We now have fewer than five years to the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals deadline. Every year counts and every decision matters. This award highlights and rewards a company that is truly pioneering new ways to help meet the Global Goals at a scale to drive measurable and positive global progress. It’s important that the entry includes data, disclosures and investments that support the SDG ambitions, plus evidence of a supporting governance structure through incentives and business objectives. Entries will be considered over a 2-to-5-year timescale, but activity during 2025-2026 must be demonstrated.

This award will recognise innovative partnerships that are addressing a key environmental or social issue. Submissions must demonstrate the impact and results of this collaboration - whether it is cross-sector, or a private-public partnership - and how it is delivering significant impact. A clear material link to business strategy, and potential long-term benefits of the partnership are a must. It’s important that there’s data, disclosures and investments that support real impact. Entries will be considered over a 2-to-5-year timescale, but activity during 2025-2026 must be demonstrated.

This award celebrates a person who is a leader and pioneering new ideas and actions which challenge the status quo within their business and industry. This accolade will go to an outstanding business leader that has demonstrated inspiring, motivational, and passionate leadership to their team, company or sector, and has a clear commitment to long-term impacts. Entries’ influences will be considered over a 2-to-5-year timescale, but this person’s activity during 2025-2026 must be strongly demonstrated.

This award recognises a company that has embedded water stewardship into its core business strategy and day-to-day operations. Entrants should provide data, disclosures, and investments that demonstrate leadership in managing water-related impacts and dependencies across operations. Alignment with leading frameworks (e.g., CDP Water, TNFD, basin-risk-informed approaches) and strong governance, strategy, risk management, metrics, and targets will strengthen entries. An overview of how water stewardship integrates into wider natural capital and business strategy will be advantageous. Entries will be considered over a 2–5-year timescale, with clear activity during 2025–2026 required.

This award recognises an early-career standout who is already shaping sustainable business—showing initiative, innovative thinking, and the ability to drive progress beyond their job title. The winner will demonstrate how they are helping embed sustainability into core decisionmaking and day-to-day execution (e.g., operations, procurement, finance, product, strategy, supply chain, commercial), and how their contributions are delivering measurable environmental and/or social outcomes while strengthening business resilience. They are able to inspire and motivate colleagues and others outside the organisation to take action and drive change Entries will be considered over a 2–3-year timescale where relevant (e.g., programme trajectory and results), but must include clear, evidenced activity and impact during 2025–2026. Eligibility: Open to professionals at any level with ≤7 years’ experience in sustainability or a related business function (no age cap).

The award will go to a company that has adopted a technology, initiative or project that is helping the business move from a linear to a circular model. It’s important that there’s data, disclosures and investments that showcase this new circular ambition for the business. A clear pathway indicating how this new approach can be scaled across the business, and potentially the sector, is desirable. Entries will be considered over a 2-to-5-year timescale, but activity during 2025-2026 must be demonstrated.

The award will go to a small or medium-sized company who is challenging the status quo, developing an innovative offering that is helping address a critical or environmental challenge. The winning entry will include all relevant data and discloses any information - including details of financial investments - which could be relevant, demonstrating positive impact. Entries should highlight design, delivery, and scalability. Entries will be considered over a 2-to-5-year timescale, but activity during 2025- 2026 must be demonstrated. Entries must follow the definition of an SME defined by the European Commission.