All the winners and highly commended entries from the inaugural UK Green Business Awards last night
Last night over 400 people from across the green economy gathered in London for the inaugural UK Green Business Awards, bringing together the best of Britain's green business community. Following opening speeches from BusinessGreen editor-in-chief James Murray and Shadow Climate Change and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband, all the winners and highly commended entries were announced.
Here are all the victorious finalists:
Behaviour Change Campaign of the Year
Hubbub - Manchester Is Green
The judges were hugely impressed by Hubbub's latest innovative and carefully-tailored campaign to encourage rival football fans to eat a more sustainable diet, which resulted in 70 per cent of participants eating less meat and 68 per cent saving money.
Highly Commended: Business for Nature, the Capitals Coalition, & Greenhouse Communications - Make it Mandatory
Circular Economy Project of the Year
GPE - 2 Aldermanbury Square
In a competitive category the judges were won over by developer GPE's pioneering project to reuse and recycle 1,600 tonnes of steel from a dismantled building, delivering huge carbon savings from a project that will also result in a new fossil fuel free refurbished property.
Highly Commended: Anthesis & Microsoft - Stretch Wrap Alternative Project
Highly Commended: Meryl Fabrics - 100% Recyclable Fabrics
Green Building Project of the Year
Grosvenor - Holbein Gardens
The judges were impressed by Grosvenor's latest office redevelopment project, which promises to slash embodied carbon while delivering an all-electric building, improvements to biodiversity, and even CO2 absorbing bricks.
Highly Commended: SEGRO - SEGRO Park Tottenham
Highly Commended: The Office Group - Black & White Building
Green Heat Project of the Year
Kensa Utilities Ltd - Heat the Streets
In another highly competitive category, the judges were won over by Kensa's pioneering project to take a street-by-street approach to deploying networked heat pumps, which provides an important working example of how the UK could accelerate the rollout of green heating technologies.
Highly Commended: Mixergy - Smart Water Tanks
Highly Commended: Octopus Energy - Taking Zero Emission Heat Pumps Global
Recycling Project of the Year
Sokito - Football boot pilot recycling scheme
The judges were hugely impressed by Sokito's efforts to bring the circular economy to the multi-billion dollar football boot industry through the world's first dedicated boot recycling pilot project, paving the way for a truly circular football boot.
Highly Commended: NatWest Group - Reverse Vending Machines
Supply Chain and Logistics Project of the Year
Zedify
The cargo bike delivery specialist secured the judges vote thanks to its core focus on zero emission last mile deliveries, its innovative microhub operating model, and its impressive and growing client roster.
Highly Commended: EVRI - 'Parcel Delivery That Doesn't Cost The Earth' Strategy
Mobility Project of the Year
Kaluza - Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Project
In one of the most competitive categories, the judges hailed Kaluza for the success of its large-scale vehicle-to-grid trials and the huge potential of its technology to enable the rapid growth of both the electric vehicle and smart grid markets.
Highly Commended: National Express West Midlands - Coventry Electric Bus Fleet Project
Highly Commended: ZeroAvia - Hydrogen-Electric Regional Aircraft Project
Marketing/Advertising Campaign of the Year
The B Team & Business for Nature - Environmentally Harmful Subsidies Campaign
In another competitive category, the judges were won over by the B Team and Business for Nature's targeted but high impact campaign, which brought together a raft of disparate organisations to highlight an oft-overlooked issue and in the process ultimately helped shape last year's crucial UN biodiversity talks.
Highly Commended: BBC Studios - The Green Planet campaign
Highly Commended: Milliways - Felicity Plasticity Viral Video Campaign
Nature-based Project of the Year
Finance Earth & Wildlife Trusts - Habitat Banking Model
The judges were hugely impressed by the breadth, ambition, and potential scalability of the Habitat Banking Model from Finance Earth and the Wildlife Trusts, which is already mobilising finance to deliver invaluable habitat restoration at a series of pilot sites across the UK.
Highly Commended: U+I - Mayfield Park
Renewable Energy Project of the Year
Ripple Energy - Graig Fatha Wind Farm
In another massively competitive category, Ripple Energy won out with the judges recognising a milestone year for the pioneering renewable energy developer after the company installed its first wind turbine online and unveiled ambitious expansion plans for its highly innovative cooperative-based route to market.
Highly Commended: Syzygy - Metrocentre Decarbonisation Project
Highly Commended: WASE - Hepworth Brewery Project
Communications Agency of the Year
Greenhouse Communications
The judges praised the combination of professionalism, creativity, reach, and impact from this year's winner, Greenhouse Communications, after the pioneering agency successfully executed campaigns covering everything from green finance and carbon markets to cutting edge clean tech and UN biodiversity summits.
Highly Commended: Blakeney Group
Consultancy of the Year
Finance Earth
The judges were won over by Finance Earth's outsized impact as a social enterprise that has helped deliver multi-million pound green funds and financing mechanisms, while helping a wide range of stakeholders access the investment they need to deliver nature protection and green development projects.
Highly Commended: Carbon Limiting Technologies
Highly Commended: Syzygy
Manufacturer of the Year
PVA Hygiene
The judges praised PVA Hygiene's sustainable cleaning products, elimination of single use plastics, and commitment to green manufacturing standards and low impact processes, all of which have helped the company secure an impressive and growing client roster
Highly Commended: Automedi
ESG Investor of the Year
Thrive Renewables
In another highly competitive category, Thrive Renewables won over the judges with its laser-like focus on mobilising clean energy investment, impressive and rapidly expanding community of investors, and support for a series of cutting-edge renewables projects.
Highly Commended: Foresight Group
Early-Stage Investor of the Year
Green Angel Ventures
The judges hailed a landmark year for Green Angel Ventures, praising its innovative business model, investment in a series of successful climate tech start-ups, and its ambitious expansion plans, which promise to connect growing numbers of early stage companies with green investors.
Highly Commended: Elbow Beach Capital
Small Business of the Year
Frugalpac
In one of the most competitive categories, Frugalpac won over the judges with its ambitious plans to decarbonise food and drink packaging, its impressive range of recyclable, low carbon, paper-based cups and bottles, and its fast-expanding client base.
Highly Commended: FORE Partnership
Highly Commended: Notpla
Highly Commended: The Bulb
Fast Track Company of the Year
Ohme Operations
The judges were hugely impressed by Ohme Operations' smart charging technology, stellar growth rate, and its ability to secure partnerships with a host of major clients that promise to unlock further expansion for the trail-blazing company.
Highly Commended: onHand
Highly Commended: Oxbury Bank Plc
Innovation of the Year
Kaluza - Kaluza Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Trial
In one of the most competitive categories yet, Kaluza won out with the judges praising the proven success of its real world trials, ambitious expansion plans, and ability to help unlock the next phase of development for both the electric vehicle and smart grid sectors.
Highly Commended: Carbon Clean - CycloneCC
Highly Commended: Whitefox - Whitefox ICE XL
Net Zero Strategy of the Year - sponsored by EQUANS
easyJet - Net Zero Roadmap
In one of the most challenging categories, the judges ultimately singled out easyJet, not for its current business model, but for the breadth, detail, and ambition contained in its industry-leading Net Zero Roadmap - a strategy that incorporates near- and long-term emissions targets, multi-million pound investment in zero emission aircraft development, significant efficiency gains, and emerging carbon removal technologies.
Highly Commended: Landsec - Net Zero Strategy
Highly Commended: NatWest Group - Science Based Targets initiative
Highly Commended: Triodos Bank UK - 'As One To Zero'
Rising Star of the Year
Ellie Rowlands - Ripple Energy
The judges were hugely impressed with all the finalists, but it was Ellie Rowlands who stood out for her central role in driving Ripple Energy's commercial success, expanding its membership base, and boosting the trail-blazing company's profile, as well as her passionate commitment to a host of green causes.
Highly Commended: Amy Baker - Equans UK & Ireland
Highly Commended: Olivia O'Brien - Longevity Partners
Sustainability Leader of the Year
Danielle Mulder - BBC
The judges were blown away by the quality of this year's finalists, but Danielle Mulder won out thanks to her critical role in delivering the BBC's new net zero strategy, not to mention her inspirational leadership and transformational impact in what is one of the most high-profile and challenging sustainability roles in the UK.
Highly Commended: Julie Tucker - BE Offices
Highly Commended: Lisa Wee - AVEVA
Politician of the Year
Chris Skidmore, MP
Throughout a remarkably eventful year in Westminster, Chris Skidmore has played a critical role in keeping the net zero transition near the top of the political agenda, repeatedly making the case for green businesses and innovation as the primary growth engine for the UK economy.
At a time when climate policy has on occasions come under fire from his own colleagues, Skidmore secured commitments from Conservative leadership candidates in support of the UK's net zero goals and then travelled the length and breadth of the country to deliver a Net Zero Review that provides an invaluable template for how the next phase of the UK's decarbonisation journey can be delivered.
As the Minister who signed into law the UK's world-leading net zero target, Skidmore has long advocated for the investments, technologies, and policies that can deliver a sustainable, healthy, and prosperous economy for all.
Leader of the Year
Polly Billington - UK100
The judges hailed Polly Billington for her inspirational role in establishing UK100 as one of the most respected and important voices on climate policy in the UK - an achievement that has provided hundreds of local government leaders with the tools, support, and guidance they need to catalyse the net zero transition right across the real economy.
Highly Commended: Mark Chapman - Zero Carbon Forum
Company of the Year
Octopus Energy
All the finalists demonstrated the excitement and vibrancy of the UK's green economy, but ultimately it was Octopus Energy that secured the judges' plaudits for both the breadth of its ambition and the effectiveness of its execution. From heat pumps and electric vehicles to renewables and smart technologies, Octopus Energy is delivering on a vision that promises to turbocharge the net zero transition right across the UK economy.
Highly Commended: The National Trust
Highly Commended: Triodos Bank UK
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sir Jonathon Porritt
For decades Jonathon Porritt has been one of the UK's foremost environmental campaigners, writers, and activists. Occasionally controversial, but always thought-provoking, his career has taken in teaching, politics, activism, and, through his work at Forum for the Future, advising many of the world's most powerful businesses on the huge scale of the environmental challenges and opportunities they face.
Colleagues talk of a man who has an unerring ability to speak powerfully, truthfully, and critically to corporate audiences without getting kicked out of the room. A campaigner with a unique ability to motivate his audience, even as he refuses to pull his punches on the depth of the environmental crises we face. And a thinker always on the look out for the technologies, business models, and theories of change that might just make a net zero, nature-positive economy a reality. He may have just stepped down from his role at Forum for the Future, but he remains one of the green economy's most respected leaders.
