BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2016 - And the winner is...

The BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2016 took place last night in a celebration of the best of the UK's green economy.

Hosted in association with headline sponsor AECOM, the sixth annual awards ceremony brought together around 500 executives from across the green sector to recognise the achievements of all our finalists and winners.

You can read all about the finalists in our special report detailing the inspiring businesses, projects, and individuals to make the shortlist. 

The winners on the night were:

Fast-track Company of the Year

Perpetual V2G Systems Ltd

In two short years, Perpetual V2G Systems has enjoyed stellar growth, in terms of revenues, staff, and its customer base, as it has pulled in a series of blue chip clients. The judges were particularly impressed by the pace of the company's expansion, which has been driven by its highly innovative system for slashing emissions and fuel use across corporate fleets.

Highly Commended: Social Stock Exchange

 

Employee Engagement Campaign of the Year

National Trust/Ashden, Fit for the Future Network

In this highly competitive category, the judges were won over by the reach and ambition of the Fit for the Future Network as it sought to encourage clean tech initiatives amongst both National Trust staff and wider stakeholders. The judges were particular impressed by the ‘environmental dating agency's' expansion to take in 80 members and almost 1,000 practitioners.

Highly Commended: Bank of America, Recycle Now Campaign

 

Law Firm of the Year

Burges Salmon LLP

With its focus on first-of-a-kind clean energy projects, Burges Salmon has carved out a deserved reputation as one of the UK's greenest law firms. The judges were won over by the range of the firm's work, offering legal advice on everything from giant offshore wind farms to small-scale community energy projects.

 

Manufacturer of the Year

Kingspan Insulated Panels

In a highly competitive category, Kingspan Insulated Panels stood out for both its development of energy saving products and its rapid progress towards becoming a 'Net Zero Energy' company. The judges were particularly impressed by its commitment to renewable power, its zero waste sites, and its halving of carbon emissions inside five years.

Highly Commended: Panasonic

 

Ecosystem Project of the Year

EGIP Alliance (Morgan Sindall) - Drumgrew Bridge Biodiversity Offsetting Project

In another competitive category, the EGIP Alliance's pioneering biodiversity offset initiative got the nod from the judges in recognition of its ‘no net loss' approach to this crucial rail upgrade project. With four hectares of new woodland delivered, the project offers a valuable example of how biodiversity offset projects could work in the future.

Highly Commended: The Land Trust, Port Sunlight River Park Project

 

IT Project of the Year

Romonet, Slashing Data Centre Water Usage Project

The judges praised Romonet for its commitment to tackling the oft-ignored problem of data centre water use through its Big Data Platform, which provides the data and modelling functionality needed to help businesses manage and optimise their IT-related water use.

Highly Commended: 3 Step IT UK, Circular Economy Project

 

Energy Efficiency Project of the Year - sponsored by DLL

Hammonia, Intermarine and Carbon War Room, Multi-Technology Ship Efficiency Retrofit Project

In a highly competitive category, the Ship Efficiency Retrofit Project stood out for its pioneering approach to tackling the split incentives that undermine so many efficiency programmes. By facilitating a landmark shared benefits agreement Hammonia, Intermarine and Carbon War Room were able to bring ship owner and charterer together to deliver the kind of comprehensive efficiency upgrades that are all too often blocked by short term financial priorities.

Highly Commended: Paul Burns & Gentoo, Boiler on Prescription Project

Highly Commended: UK Energy Partners, Schoolhaus at Chalgrove Primary School Project

 

Sustainability Executive of the Year

Rob Lambe, Willmott Dixon

Many of the UK's sustainability executives have had a great year, but Willmott Dixon's Rob Lambe took the prize in recognition of his long-standing work to promote energy efficiency, his consistent delivery against a host of environmental targets, and his cross industry work in support of a greener building sector and a wider low carbon economy.

Highly Commended: Gareth Rice, O2

Highly Commended: Gareth Williams, Northern Rail

 

Sustainability Team of the Year

Sustainability Team, FIA Formula E

In one of the most competitive categories of the night, the sustainability team at FIA Formula E won over the judges thanks to its work turning the high profile clean tech racing series into an exemplar of sustainable best practice. Through lifecycle assessment, clean tech investment, and its Legacy programme the team at Formula E have engaged a wide audience while slashing the company's environmental impact.

Highly Commended: Environment Team, Northern Rail

Highly Commended: Sustainable Energy Forum, RBS

 

Young Sustainability Executive of the Year

Rishi Madlani, RBS

Rishi Madlani has been integral to RBS's emergence as a major player in the sustainable energy market, having championed green investment both within the bank and to a wider audience. The judges were left impressed by his work to promote the merits of sustainable energy to colleagues, not to mention his desire to drive decarbonisation through his roles as a Camden Councillor and an LSE Governor.

Highly Commended: Amy Cameron, 10:10

 

Consultancy of the Year

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff

In one of the most competitive categories yet, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff took the title of Consultancy of the Year in recognition of its pioneering sustainability projects across the retail, energy and transport sectors, its successful internal emission reduction efforts, and its thought-provoking research on the future of green cities and buildings.

Highly Commended: AECOM

Highly Commended: JLL

 

Advertising/Marketing Campaign of the Year

Hubbub UK - Neat Street Campaign

This eye-catching and headline-grabbing campaign won plaudits from the judges for its highly innovative approach to tackling the perennial blight of litter on our streets. The judges were hugely impressed by the visually striking and engaging voting ash-tray and anti-litter messaging, all of which helped to slash littering levels over the lifetime of the project.

Highly Commended: Solar Trade Association, Friends of the Earth & 10:10 - #SaveOurSolar Campaign

 

Entrepreneur of the Year

Chris Morris, E-Car Club

In five years Chris Morris has turned an idea for an electric car club into the first crowd-funded investment exit in the UK, expanding E-Car Club to deliver over 50,000 member journeys and a fleet of 100 electric vehicles. The judges praised Morris for his innovative business model, effective execution, and commitment to tackling both environmental challenges and transport poverty.

Highly Commended: Erik Fairbairn, POD Point

Highly Commended: Sandra Sassow, SEaB Energy

 

Green Infrastructure Project of the Year

POD Point, Open Charge Public Network Project

The POD Point Open Charge Network stood out for the judges thanks to its impressive reach, crowd-funded investment, and highly innovative use of smart phone enabled technology to overcome the challenges experienced by first generation card-enabled EV charging points. With over 800,000 clean miles of electric motoring already delivered, the judges were impressed by POD Point's ambitious expansion plans and ability to open up EV charging networks.

Highly Commended: Lightsource Renewable Energy, Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir Floating Solar Farm Project

 

Circular Economy Project of the Year

Just Clear, Zero Waste to Landfill Project

In a sector that is rarely associated with sustainability, Just Clear won the judges backing after bringing 100 per cent landfill avoidance to the house clearance business. From turning old mattresses into dog bedding to safely recycling old TVs, the company's commitment to ensuring the wide array of material it collects is re-used or recycled offers an example of circular economy thinking at its best.

Highly Commended: O2, Recycle, Refresh, Eco-rating and Refurb Project

 

NGO of the Year

ClientEarth

ClientEarth stood out this year for its victories pushing air pollution up the political agenda. But the judges were impressed by more than just the NGO's eye-catching court victories, praising its invaluable work on marine and forest protection and climate-related shareholder resolutions. Having pioneered a new approach to environmental and legal activism, ClientEarth continues to go from strength-to-strength.

Highly Commended: Green Alliance

 

Green PR Company of the Year

Greenhouse PR

Greenhouse PR retained its title in a competitive category thanks to a wide range of campaigns that took in everything from the Paris Agreement to hydrogen car start-ups and community energy fund-raising. The judges were impressed with the firm's in-depth understanding of a wide range of green businesses and environmental issues, as well as its innovative and professional approach to getting its client's messages across.

Highly Commended: Hill+Knowlton Strategies

 

Renewable Energy Project of the Year

Lightsource Renewable Energy, Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir Floating Solar Array Project

With over 23,000 solar panels and cutting-edge floating array, Lightsource Renewable Energy has delivered Europe's largest floating solar farm at the Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir at Walton on Thames. The judges were hugely impressed by the engineering nous that has delivered 6.3MW of solar capacity to the site and will help cut Thames Water's carbon footprint by 3,000 tons a year.

Highly Commended: Ecovision Renewables, Greenhouse Heat Pump Project

 

Small Business of the Year

Gnewt Cargo

It is hard not to love Gnewt Cargo and its fleet of all-electric urban delivery vehicles, and the judges were certainly won over by the company's disruptive green approach to last mile logistics. The judges were particularly impressed by Gnewt Cargo's rapid expansion, ambitious growth plans, and unwavering commitment to tackling air pollution and carbon emissions.

Highly Commended: SEaB Energy

 

Innovation of the Year

Dearman, Zero-Emission Transport Refrigeration System

In one of our most competitive categories, Dearman edged out the competition thanks to the huge potential offered by its Zero Emission Transport Refrigeration System. With the zero emission, liquid nitrogen piston engine now being commercially deployed, the judges praised both Dearman's ability to eradicate carbon emissions and air pollution from a sector with a large environmental footprint, and the engineering and commercial skills that went into getting this highly innovative technology to market.

Highly Commended: Scotia, Scotia Monopole Zero-Emission Streetlight

 

Leader of the Year

James Thornton, ClientEarth

ClientEarth's James Thornton has enjoyed another stellar year, guiding the environmental law firm as it has chalked off a series of high profile victories. The judges were particularly impressed by James' innovative approach to harnessing the law to help drive the transition to a low carbon economy, not to mention ClientEarth's victories in tackling air pollution and encouraging sustainable shareholder resolutions.

Highly Commended: Dr Steven Fawkes, EnergyPro Ltd

 

Politician of the Year

Laurent Fabius

Numerous politicians around the world have worked to advance the cause of the green economy over the past 12 months, but ultimately there could be just one winner: France's Laurent Fabius.

Throughout his chairmanship of the historic Paris Summit, Fabius and his team is widely credited with having delivered a masterclass in the art of international diplomacy: building alliances, cleverly navigating roadblocks, and always working towards the strategic goal of a truly ambitious international climate treaty.

He would be the first to admit that the credit for this game-changing agreement should be shared, but it was Fabius' political leadership and diplomatic nous that helped to steer the negotiations home. And that is why we are delighted to award him the title of BusinessGreen Leaders Awards' Politician of the Year.

 

Company of the Year - Sponsored by AECOM

FIA Formula E

There are thousands of great green businesses operating across the UK, but this year's Company of the Year goes to FIA Formula E in recognition of the trail-blazing role it is playing on behalf of the clean transport sector. The judges were won over by Formula E's ability to promote clean technology to a wide audience, while also pioneering best-in-class sustainability practices and providing an invaluable test bed for a host of green innovations.

Highly Commended: Good Energy

 

Lifetime Achievement Award

Lord Stern

Few people have done more to promote the idea that environmental and economic success can go hand in hand than our BusinessGreen Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Lord Nicholas Stern.

It was a decade ago that the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change helped to shift the debate on the urgent need for climate action, giving crucial intellectual ballast to the idea that green growth was not just possible, but essential.

In the intervening 10 years, Lord Stern has time and again proved himself to be one of the green economy's most eloquent champions, working tirelessly to convince policymakers and business leaders that tackling climate change does not just make environmental sense, it makes economic sense too.

It was this analysis, perhaps more than any other, that helped unleash wave after wave of green investment and ensured last year's Paris Agreement ended in the historic success that it did. And that is why we are delighted to hand Lord Stern this year's BusinessGreen Leaders Lifetime Achievement Award.