Last night the Guardian Sustainable Business winners were announced. An inspiring group of individuals and businesses working towards a brighter, greener and more sustainable future.
All the winners and runners up of this year’s Guardian Sustainable Business Awards made a huge contribution to the sector. Sustainability has been hot on the agenda in 2016 and as Anna Laycock commented it’s important to recognise ‘businesses making profit but also creating the kind of world we want to live in’.
All those nominated have been championing the sustainability agenda within their sector and often behind closed door. That’s why these awards are more than just a competition. They’re an exciting opportunity to celebrate the wider sustainability movement in business. This year saw a record number of entries with the expert panel of judges reporting strong competition and high quality.
Category: Bold move
Winner – Páramo
Páramo’s fabric technology supports Greenpeace’s call to end the use of chemicals linked to reproductive problems in animals. Professional climbers David Bacci and Matteo Della Bordella climbed Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia wearing the clothing to prove it!
Runner up – Southern Water
Category: Waste
Winner – Winnow
Smart technology from startup Winnow is helping restaurants in London reduce their food waste. Successfully working with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s restaurant reduce its waste by a third.
Runner up – Interface
Category: Water
Winner – Innocent drinks
Four years of research went into creating the Irri-fresa app, which has helped farmers reduce water by up to 40%. Head of sustainability Jessica Sansom commented “small actions can make a big difference.”
Category: Finance for good
Winner – Social Stock Exchange
The Social Stock Exchange helps socially responsible companies raise money from the mainstream financial community. In the last year SSX’s member companies collectively raised £400m, including the construction of 800 affordable UK homes, 78,000 tonnes of CO2 saved through clean energy, and 8,300 people accessing new healthcare facilities.
Runner up – Carbon Tracker Initiative
Category: Supply chain
Winner – SABMiller
For more than 10 years SABMiller has been producing an affordable local beer with profits ploughed into HIV/Aids testing, clean water and education.
Runner up – Pennine Pack Ltd
Category: Social impact
Winner – The University of Manchester
The Works, an employment and training centre run by the University of Manchester, is helping Moss Side residents train up and find work. Juliette Skyrme commented that “There are lots of public and voluntary sector strategies to get people back into work, but what none of those have is a job at the end of it, we offer work-ready training up front but also the carrot of final employment.”
Runners up – Shared Interest Society and Neighbourly
Category: Diversity and inclusion
Winner – Marcatus QED
Marcatus QED hopes its films will engage Indian farming communities and help empower women. “The way that the culture is, women tend to say: ‘Oh well, the men are here so we don’t have to be here,’” says Sona Kalra, Marcatus QED’s Responsible Farming Programme manager.
Runner up – Microlink PC (UK) Ltd
Category: Net positive
Winner – IKEA UK and Ireland
A commitment to renewable power sources, low-energy products and supply chain emission cuts help the Swedish furniture giant boost sustainability.
Runner up – Good Energy
Category: Communicating sustainability
Winner – Climate-KIC
Climate-KIC’s campaign saw 20 cities crowdsource ideas to make their cities greener, from cycling to food waste.
Runner up – CTC and Diva Creative Ltd
Category: Collaboration
Winner – Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation
A joint initiative between Edinburgh’s three main universities. The centre grew out of a desire to bring together Scotland’s vibrant community of cleantech experts and startups, and is believed to have contributed millions to the Scottish economy.
Runner up – Falcon Coffees Limited
Category: Carbon and energy management
Winner – Wyke Farms
Wyke Farms saves £100,000 a year on energy bills thanks to new green initiatives.
Runner up – ENWORKS
Category: Built environment
Winner – The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia
At UEA’s Enterprise Centre, local materials meet hi-tech carbon monitoring – all on a traditional budget. “We wanted to create the ultimate sustainable building,” says professor John French, CEO of the Adapt Low Carbon Group.
Runner up – XCO2 Energy
Category: Startup of the year
Winner – Winnow
A double victory for Winnow. Their smart meters identify what foods are being thrown away to help restaurants track where most waste is produced. And it works! Winnow users can record a 25% reduction in waste in the first month of use.
Runner up – Guru Systems
Sustainable business leader of the year
Paul Corcoran, boss of the consultancy firm Agent Marketing, has been praised for trialling shorter working days and enforced workplace breaks.
Unsung sustainability hero of the year
Under Bradley’s leadership B&Q has moved to 100% responsibly sourced timber and is working towards all products being peat-free.
What do you think of the winners this year? Who’s your favourite? What was the campaign that stood out for you? Let us know via our twitter page.
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