The Global Sustainability Awards: Recognising Change-Makers Transforming Our Planet

Global Sustainability Awards: Honouring Innovators Shaping a Greener Future

The Purpose and Vision of the Global Sustainability Awards

Celebrating Leadership and Measurable Impact

The awards programme celebrates leadership, innovation and measurable impact across sustainability, providing a platform for changemakers to showcase their groundbreaking work.

Within this critical context, the Global Sustainability Awards serve a vital role – recognising and celebrating the individuals, initiatives and companies setting new benchmarks in environmental stewardship, social impact and governance excellence.

These awards do more than spotlight leadership – they raise standards, connect change-makers and inspire bold action in an era where sustainability has become a business imperative.

The Global Sustainability Awards nurture a collective spirit by uniting a diverse range of leaders – from CSOs and ESG strategists to policy makers and innovators.

In recognition that sustainability is increasingly a business imperative driven by economic competitiveness over politics, the awards acknowledge opportunities in countries that have created enabling environments driving down the cost of cleaner energy. The programme allows organisations to achieve global recognition from a panel of volunteer judges who are business executives and experts, recognising those who have incorporated sustainability into their business practices.

Creating Global Recognition and Inspiration

The Sustainability Awards programme allows your organisation to achieve global recognition from a panel of volunteer judges who are business executives and experts.

The Global Sustainability Awards serve as an inspiration for inclusive transformative action, business excellence, and environmental management around the world, whether by helping to improve natural resource management, demonstrating new ways to combat climate change, or raising awareness of emerging sustainable challenges.

Stonebridge Financial is truly honoured to receive sustainability recognition from independent panels of international judges, as voted on by the global community.

The awards represent collaboration rather than competition, with founders emphasising that "It is not a competition, it is a collaboration". With multiple chapters across the world, GSA provides a global platform to recognize local sustainability efforts and empower the next generation of sustainability leaders.

The 2026 international agenda has turned its attention towards sectors often overlooked by traditional economic systems yet essential for achieving a more resilient and sustainable future, including volunteers, pastoralists and women farmers.

Also Read: How Businesses Can Manage Climate Risks in a Changing Global Economy

The 18 Prestigious Award Categories

Comprehensive Coverage of Sustainability Dimensions

The Global Sustainability Awards 2025 celebrated excellence across 17 categories, highlighting innovation, leadership, and best practice in embedding sustainability into business operations. The awards feature categories recognising innovation, leadership, and measurable impact, from bold corporate strategies to individual achievements.

Categories include Future Leader, Sustainable Technology, Company of the Year, Social Impact, and Lifetime Achievement, reflecting the breadth and impact of sustainability across industries.

Net Zero Award: Driving Climate Commitments

The Net Zero Award recognises organisations leading the transition to net-zero emissions. Winners in 2025 included DP World, ECL, Fincantieri, Scala Data Centers, and Univers. As of October 2025, around 145 countries had announced or are considering net zero targets, including China, the EU, and India.

The Net Zero Stocktake 2025 finds that despite the US federal government's retrenchment on climate action, 77% of global GDP is still covered by national net-zero commitments.

The number of US companies with net-zero targets has risen by 9% in the last year, representing $12 trillion in global annual revenue, which amounts to 64% of the revenue of the companies assessed.

Target-setting continues to increase in Asia, notably in China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C – as called for in the Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

More than 9,000 companies, over 1000 cities, more than 1000 educational institutions, and over 600 financial institutions have joined the Race to Zero, pledging to take rigorous, immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030.

Sustainable Finance Award: Transforming Capital Flow

The Sustainable Finance Award recognises organisations revolutionising how capital flows toward sustainable initiatives. 2025 finalists included Cisco, DP World, Scala Data Centers, Soulmates Ventures, and Terraformation. Global sustainable finance in 2025 showed mixed results highlighting regional differences, with strong momentum observed in APAC and Eastern Europe, but challenges in the Americas and the rest of EMEA.

The sustainability agenda in 2026 is characterised by pragmatism towards a country's ability to implement climate plans based on economics alone, and greater acceptance that finance requirements have to come from somewhere other than public coffers.

Companies worldwide are being encouraged to harness corporate volunteering as a tool for employee engagement and community innovation, with responsible investment initiatives already underway.

The ultimate aim is that volunteering, pastoralism and women's agricultural labour will no longer be invisible within national accounts or climate policy debates by the end of 2026.

Sustainable Technology Award: Innovation Driving Change

The Sustainable Technology Award celebrates organisations pioneering technological solutions to sustainability challenges. 2025 finalists included Croda Beauty, ECL, GIST Impact, Terraformation, and Qnovo Inc. ECL received recognition for MV1: The World's First Operational, Off-Grid, Hydrogen-Powered AI Data Center.

The ultimate aim of sustainability initiatives is that by the end of 2026, volunteering, pastoralism and women's agricultural labour will no longer be invisible within national accounts or climate policy debates.

Sustainability Consultancy Award: Expert Guidance

The Sustainability Consultancy Award recognises consultancy firms providing expert guidance on sustainability integration. 2025 finalists included Aura Consultants, EcoEngineers, EY Consulting GmbH, Make UK, and Think Beyond. Ingrid Beutler from Think Beyond was recognised as Executive of the Year. The awards nurture collective spirit by uniting diverse leaders from CSOs and ESG strategists to policy makers.

Project of the Year Award: Groundbreaking Initiatives

The Project of the Year Award highlights exceptional sustainability projects with measurable impact. 2025 finalists included:

• Apetito Ltd: Drives to the Future with Ground-Breaking EV Fleet

• ECL: MV1: The World's First Operational, Off-Grid, Hydrogen-Powered AI Data Center

• HH Global: The Sustainability Playbook

• Link: Redefining sustainable brand activation for Visa's Paris 2024 Olympics & Paralympics programme

• RA International Group PLC: Community Impact in Fragile States

Social Impact Award: People-Centred Sustainability

The Social Impact Award recognises organisations delivering transformative social benefits through sustainability initiatives. 2025 finalists included Esas Holding, Hilti Group (Engaged Beyond Business, Corporate Volunteering Programme), KnowBe4, Reeder Technology (Girls Do Code), and Version 1 (AI Inclusion Suite).

Benevity's State of Corporate Purpose 2025 report reveals that 88% of leaders now view their impact strategies not just as "good to do," but as "future-proofing" the business against regulatory and talent risks.

Companies offering dual programs (both giving and volunteering) saw 11.7% employee engagement, compared to just 4.5% for giving-only programs. They project an 11% growth in volunteering participation through 2026, driven largely by virtual and skills-based opportunities. Industry data reports that mid-sized companies (1,000–5,000 employees) are currently boasting the highest volunteer participation rates at approximately 63%.

The International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026), proclaimed through Resolution 78/127, positions volunteering not merely as altruism but as a strategic driver of social and economic progress. Its core objective is integrating volunteerism into national development strategies to help accelerate the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Sustainability Strategy Award: Strategic Excellence

The Sustainability Strategy Award honours organisations with comprehensive, effective sustainability strategies. 2025 finalists included Beko, Drax, Housing & Development Board, One New Zealand, and Waterbom (PT Bali Ocean Magic). Hakan Bulgurlu from Beko was recognised as Executive of the Year. One New Zealand was also named Company of the Year.

Partnership Award: Collaborative Sustainability

The Partnership Award celebrates collaborative efforts driving sustainability forward. 2025 finalists included:

• Croda Beauty: Improving sustainability in the wassaï supply chain

• Croda Beauty: Developing a Continuous Production Process for Speciality Surfactants

• DuPont Water Solution: Partnership with ChildFund and Davis & Shirtliff

• Esas Holding

• HH Global - HH Global X Diageo: A Partnership for Change

Croda Beauty received multiple recognitions, demonstrating the company's commitment to supply chain sustainability and production innovation.

Executive of the Year Award: Leadership Recognition

The Executive of the Year Award recognises individual leaders driving sustainability excellence. 2025 winners included:

• Hakan Bulgurlu (Beko)

• Ingrid Beutler (Think Beyond)

• Lael Giebel (KnowBe4)

• Sonya Gafsi Oblisk (Whole Foods Market)

• Tina Arrowood, Ph.D. (DuPont Water Solutions)

Márcia Balisciano, CSO of RELX, was also recognised in the Top 250 Companies in Sustainability. These executives represent the breadth of sustainability leadership across industries from technology to food to water solutions.

Future Leader Award: Emerging Sustainability Champions

The Future Leader Award celebrates young professionals emerging as sustainability leaders. 2025 winners included:

• Ana Luiza Nogueira Rodrigues (Scala Data Centers)

• Mel Bandler (Bath & Body Works, Inc.)

• Katharina Fechtner (BASF Coatings GmbH Münster)

• Sripragas Nadaraja (Ramboll)

• Tomáš Kabeláč (Soulmates Ventures)

This award empowers the next generation of sustainability leaders, providing global platform recognition for local sustainability efforts. Target-setting continues increasing in Asia, particularly among younger professionals driving change.

ESG Programme Award: Integrated Governance

The ESG Programme Award recognises organisations with comprehensive Environmental, Social, and Governance programmes. 2025 finalists included Evri, Jet Plant Hire, Reconomy, SGS SA, and Vedanta Aluminium Limited. The 2026 Social Impact Operating System's defining shift will be from Visibility to Verifiability, with focus on Resilience, Verification, and Integrated Tech.

Diversity & Inclusion Award: Equitable Sustainability

The Diversity & Inclusion Award celebrates organisations advancing equity within sustainability initiatives. 2025 finalists included ANS Group, deugro, and Vedanta Aluminium Limited.

The International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026) acknowledges women's indispensable contribution to global food security, calling for closing the gender gap in access to land, technology, credit, and markets. Empowering women farmers could raise agricultural productivity by up to 30% in developing regions and significantly reduce hunger rates.

Company of the Year Award: Overall Excellence

The Company of the Year Award recognises organisations demonstrating comprehensive sustainability excellence. 2025 winners included Aston Martin (Enterprise Company of the Year), Evri, Jet Plant Hire, One New Zealand, Tecno Group, and Terraformation. Aston Martin was specifically named Enterprise Company of the Year. These companies represent the forefront of global sustainability, with groundbreaking efforts in making the world more environmentally sustainable.

Brand Campaign Award: Communication Excellence

The Brand Campaign Award recognises exceptional sustainability communication and branding. 2025 finalists included ABB - Asea Brown Boveri Ltd and PT Great Eastern Life Indonesia. Despite political pressure in 2025, companies retreating into caution found that corporate silence created brand risk.

AI in Sustainability Award: Technology Innovation

The AI in Sustainability Award celebrates organisations leveraging artificial intelligence for sustainability solutions. 2025 finalists included GIST Impact and IFS. GIST Impact also received the Sustainable Technology Award, demonstrating dual excellence. Version 1's AI Inclusion Suite was recognised in Social Impact, showing AI's cross-cutting applications.

Lifetime of Achievement Award: Legacy Recognition

Winners announced at the ceremony include the Lifetime of Achievement Award, recognising individuals with decades of sustainability leadership. This award honours those whose careers have been dedicated to transforming our planet through sustained commitment.

Start-Up Award: Innovation from Emerging Companies

The Start-Up Award recognise emerging companies driving sustainability innovation. Terraformation received both Company of the Year and was a Project of the Year finalist, demonstrating start-up excellence.

Global Sustainability Trends Shaping 2026

Three Areas Dominating Net-Zero Transition

Zoë Knight and team expect three areas to dominate the net-zero transition agenda in 2026: (1) climate plan execution, (2) pragmatic finance and (3) adaptation. The race to a global net-zero emission operating system is increasingly determined by economic competitiveness over politics.

This creates opportunities in countries that have already created enabling environments driving down the cost of cleaner energy and have economic diversification strategies, such as China and the Middle East.

International Years Defining 2026 Focus

Three major designations define global institutions' 2026 focus, seeking to redefine how development is measured by linking human initiative and ecological stewardship in practical, data-driven ways:

International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026) positions volunteering as a strategic driver of social and economic progress, with the State of the World's Volunteerism Report 2026 providing quantitative evidence of volunteering's economic and social impact.

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), spearheaded by Mongolia and supported by the FAO, highlights ecosystems spanning half of the planet's surface and sustaining over two billion people. These rangelands store nearly 34% of global carbon reserves, with pastoralism playing as a low-carbon and nature-friendly production system.

International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026) acknowledges women's indispensable contribution to global food security, calling for closing gender gaps.

Top 10 Sustainability Trends for 2026

S&P Global identifies 10 key sustainability trends to watch in 2026, noting that sustainability will be a story of how stakeholders balance near-term priorities with long-term realities. Sustainability trends that dominated 2025 reveal what they mean for business strategy and ESG performance in 2026.

Impact and Recognition: Measuring Success

Quantitative Evidence of Sustainability Impact

The Global Sustainability Awards nurture collective spirit by uniting diverse leaders, raising standards and connecting change-makers. Recognition plays a key role in an era where sustainability is a business imperative. These awards spotlight changemakers who aren't just adapting but creating solutions.

Plant-for-the-Planet was honoured for restoring forests and fighting climate change, empowering youth worldwide and restoring 90 million trees through education and digital transparency tools.

Gjenge Makers (Kenya) was recognized for tackling Nairobi's waste crisis, transforming plastic waste into building materials, recycling over 200 tons of plastic and creating 600 jobs while promoting recycling culture.

Building Global Sustainability Leadership

The Sustainability Awards will recognise those who have incorporated sustainability into their business practices, serving as inspiration for inclusive transformative action worldwide.

Whether by helping to improve natural resource management, demonstrating new ways to combat climate change, or raising awareness of emerging sustainable challenges, the awards drive meaningful progress.

Conclusion: The Future of Sustainability Recognition

The Global Sustainability Awards continue evolving as the premier platform recognising change-makers transforming our planet. With entries closing 29 June 2026 and the ceremony scheduled for 8 September 2026, the awards maintain their mission of celebrating excellence across 18 categories while connecting the global sustainability community.

As sustainability becomes increasingly driven by economic competitiveness, the awards recognise leaders in countries creating enabling environments for cleaner energy.

The ultimate aim is ensuring volunteering, pastoralism, and women's agricultural labour are no longer invisible within national accounts or climate policy debates. Through recognition, connection, and inspiration, the Global Sustainability Awards drive the bold action necessary for transforming our planet toward a sustainable future.