Business & Finance ESG Awards
Business & Finance is delighted to announce the ESG Awards will be taking place on April 20th 2023
Business & Finance ESG Awards
2023 Award Categories
General Submission Criteria
All companies entering any of the categories should download this pdf.
ESG Company Award (Enterprise)
A category specifically for enterprise companies. Our judges will look for individual companies making exceptional contributions towards creating a set of Environmental, Social & Governance strategies with impactful actions and demonstrable results for its stakeholders at every level.
Our judges will be looking for:
- A clear illustration of the company’s environmental strategy, contribution to various environment-friendly initiatives to improve conservation, restoration, sustainable use of the terrestrial ecosystems and reduction of carbon footprints.
- This category also extends to include how the company’s social policies impact the livelihood of key stakeholders, community activities and employees. And importantly, what is the company’s approach to governance and ensuring transparency at every level?
Company Size Definition
ESG Enterprise Award 250+ Employees
ESG Company Awards (SMEs)
This category will recognise small and medium sized companies (SME <250 Employees), including micro companies and start-ups. Our judges will look for individual companies making exceptional contributions towards creating a set of Environmental, Social & Governance strategies with impactful actions and demonstrable results for its stakeholders at every level.
Our judges will be looking for:
- A clear illustration of the company’s environmental strategy, contribution to various environment-friendly initiatives to improve conservation, restoration, sustainable use of the terrestrial ecosystems and reduction of carbon footprints.
- This category also extends to include how the company’s social policies impact the livelihood of key stakeholders, community activities and employees. And importantly,what is the company’s approach to governance and ensuring transparency at every level?
Sustainable Supply Chain Award
The Sustainable Supply Chain Award will recognise companies that prioritise sustainability as a core part of its supply chain strategy and are working to achieve measurable, sustainability goals within their own business operations, from supply chains to product lifecycle management.
Our judges will be looking for:
- Commitment to sustainable partnerships, ethical practices, and improving the environment as an integral part of the business strategy.
- The development of a long-term sustainable approach to the supply chain that also incorporates and is communicated to the business partners.
- The effectiveness of a sustainable business has an obvious impact and there is a company-wide commitment to the strategy.
Biodiversity Initiative Award
The Biodiversity Initiative Award will recognise the outstanding contribution of the company to conservation at local, national and international levels. The successful company will make a conscious effort to raise awareness about biodiversity and how it relates to their sustainable business goals.
Our judges will be looking for:
- The company must raise awareness and highlight the importance of biodiversity in all areas of life.
- The successful company will go above and beyond within their local community in terms of championing biodiversity.
- This award will be granted to a company whose products or services have made a significant effort to combat the effects of climate change on biodiversity.
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Initiative
The Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Initiative will be awarded to a company that can demonstrate a holistic and long-term commitment to Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) within its culture. Recognising a company that is at the forefront of improving the lives of their employees while also enhancing the civic environment in which they operate.
Our judges will be looking for:
- Representation of diversity at all levels of the organisation
- Equal access to opportunity, fair treatment practices, diversity education and training.
- The company should detail how implementing this initiative has impacted its business.
Social Responsibility Project Award
The recipient of the Social Responsibility Project Award must demonstrate an awareness of the social injustices that exist within our society and provide evidence of attempts to mitigate their company’s effects, not only in the workplace, but on a wider societal level.
Our judges will be looking for:
- Did the company work to reduce its carbon footprint or introduce initiatives that benefit society?
- Did the company make socially and/or environmentally conscious investments, or participate in Fairtrade deals?
- Has the company demonstrated an understanding of the need for a diverse and inclusive workplace?
Employee Experience Award
The winner of the Employee Experience award must value and prioritise their employee experience and have demonstrable evidence thereof. The successful nominee should deliver a world-class employee experience to deliver outstanding results.
Our judges will be looking for:
- Does the company foster a positive work environment and relationship with its employees? We define the employee experience as the total of all interactions an employee has with their work environment and culture.
- Are employees at the nominated company recognised and rewarded for good work, and does the company have a high rate of retention?
- Has the company put flexible working initiatives in place or is it working towards doing so?
Net Zero Carbon Award
The Net Zero Carbon Award will honour a company that has a firm target in place to realistically help it achieve net zero carbon emissions. The award honouree would also provide evidence of new strategies enacted to aid its sustainability mission, including encouraging the engagement of partners on its net zero journey.
Our judges will be looking for:
- The company must have a clear, long-term strategy and commitment to achieving zero carbon emissions in its business practices within a specific timeframe. Simply offsetting carbon emissions will not be enough to win this award.
- Has the carbon footprint reduction strategy been analysed and is it projected to be significantly lower and/or make a difference to the environment?
- Was there an awareness scheme on the net zero journey of the nominated company, and was the business involved on all levels, from boardroom to employees?
Energy Efficiency Initiative Award
The Energy Efficiency Initiative Award will be given to a company that makes a continued and significant attempt to adopt practical energy efficient strategies. The footprint left by the successful company will be green, and leave a shining example to others.
Our judges will be looking for:
- The company has made a traceable effort to reduce its carbon emissions, and to prioritise green alternatives to traditional business practices.
- There will be a continued attempt by the successful company to value a reduction in energy consumption over easier alternatives.
- There should be evidence of a commitment to protecting natural resources and the environment in business practices and staff policies.
Circular Economy Award
This award recognises and celebrates organisations and entrepreneurs that are re-thinking the way we make, use and reuse materials, to advance a circular economy.
Our judges will be looking for:
- Whether the company developed products, changed supply chain or other systems to promote a circular economy; such as green packaging innovations, product designs that are easily recycled or produced from recycled materials, etc?
- How does this company’s strategy differ from “traditional” business practices, and is it sustainable in the long-term?
- Is there evidence that the company has avoided or minimised its waste production as a direct result of its circular economy strategy?
ESG Innovation Award
The ESG Innovation award will celebrate a unique project or initiative that has enhanced or made a positive change in the evolution of ESG. The recipient of this award will have showcased clear innovation and effectiveness, highlighting the wider impact to ESG through their efforts.
Our judges will be looking for:
- A clear demonstration of Innovation through leadership, inventiveness, and ingenuity
- Demonstrate what the key performance indicators of the project are and how it will be measured.
- Evidence of the initial effectiveness of the project and the future impact on the company and wider ESG progression in its entirety.
ESG Finance Award
The recipient of the ESG Finance Award must prioritise the modern problems of climate change and societal inequality (and how they interlink) in its work. The successful company will recognise the importance of revolutionising business in a manner that aims to make the business world financially accessible to future generations.
Our judges will be looking for:
- Do you offer green loans? The purpose of the loan must be to finance projects including but not limited to renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green buildings, biodiversity conservation, sustainable water and waste management.
- Are you involved in the issuance of green bonds, where the money targets an environmentally friendly project?
- Has the company engaged in sustainability-linked finance? Sustainability-linked finance is designed to incentivise the borrower’s achievement of environmental, social, or governance targets through pricing incentives.
ESG Investment Award
The ESG Investment Award will celebrate sustainable investment propositions. A successful finalist in this category will provide evidence of positively contributing towards the uptake and success of sustainable investment practices.
Our judges will be looking for:
- This award is open to fund managers, pension providers, and financial institutions offering ESG focused investment products and services.
- Proof of excellence in ESG investing in terms of research, ratings, investment solutions and initiatives that help generate a positive impact on the integrity, growth, and success of ESG investments.
- The award will be given to companies who are at the forefront of making a positive impact on society – with a major focus on the long-term benefits of investing in companies with a strong sustainable and ESG record.
Good Governance Award
The Good Governance Award will recognise a company that has set an exceptional example in terms of transparently managing its business practices.
Our judges will be looking for:
- Does the company acknowledge, encourage and promote good governance practices across the business?
- Has the company established a clear set of guidelines that have made its compliance and regulation journey easy to follow both for itself and for others?
ESG Team Award
The Best ESG Team Award will celebrate the best collaborative team which achieved extraordinary results whilst working on a project, initiative or objective focussed on ESG. This could be within an organisation, a collaboration between two organisations, community group or any other group that has prioritised ESG considerations.
Our judges will be looking for:
- Clear team collaboration, pulling on varied skill sets to show innovative approaches towards specific ESG goals.
- A successful ESG Team needs to demonstrate aims to achieve general sustainability in their workplace and communities and show a wider understanding of ESG key topics.
- ESG managers and team members need to prove to be effective communicators in ESG information within their company and or with their clients.
Future ESG Leader Award
The Future ESG Leader Award will celebrate an individual who is setting exceptional examples in sustainability leadership in the early stage of their professional career.
Special Awards
NOT OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS
ESG Leader Award
The ESG Leader Award will recognise an individual who has set an exceptional example encompassing achievements in the fullest aspect of Environmental, Social and Governance and left a lasting legacy in the area.
2022 Winners
ESG Company Award (Enterprise), sponsored by Microsoft
AIB Group plc
ESG Company Award (SME), sponsored by Aviva
Mobility Mojo
ESG Company Award (Startup), sponsored by Onclusive
Ethico
Sustainable Supply Chain Award
Bus Éireann
Biodiversity Initiative Award
Keelings
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Initiative, sponsored by UNICEF
Cpl Group
Social Responsibility Project, sponsored by AWS
Marino Software
Employee Experience Award, sposored by Dublin Tech Summit
SIRO
Net Zero Carbon Award, sponsored by SSE Airtricity
Aviva
Energy Efficiency Initiative Award
Dairygold Co-operative Society Ltd
Circular Economy Award
Portwest
ESG Finance Award, sponsored by Business & Finance Magazine
Vivid Edge
ESG Investment Award
AIB Group plc
Good Governance Award, sponsored by Irish Residential Properties REIT Plc
Dole plc
Special Recognition – ESG Leader Award
Norman Crowley, CoolPlanet
To get involved in the ESG Awards 2023, please contact Brian Kearns brian.kearns@businessandfinance.com.