Award Categories
The Business & Finance ESG Awards will return in April 2023.
Please take some time to browse all the categories and decide which ones best suit your organisation.
April 20th 2023
The Mansion House, Dublin
Award Categories
Award Categories
General Submission Criteria
All companies entering any of the categories should download this pdf.
(Entries are closed)
ESG Company Awards (Start Up)
This category will recognise Start up companies (companies with <10 employees). Our judges will recognise individual companies making exceptional contributions towards creating a set of Environmental, Social & Governance strategies with impactful actions and results for its stakeholders at every level.
- 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.
- How do the company’s social policies impact the livelihood of key stakeholders, community activities and employees.
- What is the company’s approach to governance and ensuring transparency at every level?
ESG Company Awards (SMEs)
This category will recognise SME companies (companies with 10 – 250 employees). Our judges will recognise individual companies making exceptional contributions towards creating a set of Environmental, Social & Governance strategies with impactful actions and results for its stakeholders at every level.
- 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.
- How do the company’s social policies impact the livelihood of key stakeholders, community activities and employees.
- What is the company’s approach to governance and ensuring transparency at every level?
ESG Company Awards (Enterprise) sponsored by Microsoft
This category will recognise Enterprise companies (companies with 250+ employees). Our judges will recognise individual companies making exceptional contributions towards creating a set of Environmental, Social & Governance strategies with impactful actions and results for its stakeholders at every level.
- 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.
- How do the company’s social policies impact the livelihood of key stakeholders, community activities and employees.
- What is the company’s approach to governance and ensuring transparency at every level?
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.
- 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.
Good Governance Award sponsored by Irish Residential Properties REIT Plc
The Good Governance Award will recognise a company who has set an exceptional example in terms of transparently managing its business practices.
- Does the company acknowledge, encourage and promote good governance practice in the area of annual reports.
- Has the company established a clear set of guidelines that has made its compliance and regulation journey easy to follow both for itself and for others.
Net Zero Carbon Award sponsored by SSE Airtricity
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.
- The company must have a clear, long-term strategy and commitment to achieving zero carbon emissions in its business practices. 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.
- 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 the organisations and entrepreneurs that are re-thinking the way we make, use and re-use materials to advance a circular economy.
- Has the company enacted products or 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 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.
- 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. The successful nominee in this category will provide evidence of positively contributing towards the uptake and success of sustainable investment practices.
- This award is open to fund managers, pension providers and financial institutions offering ESG focussed 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.
Climate Finance Initiative Award
The Climate Finance Initiative Award will be awarded to a company that has invested with climate finance as the core consideration and initiatives that actively contribute to progress on climate change.
- Has the company harnessed collective intelligence to increase private and public investments and assist investors in achieving sustainable, low carbon, green growth.
- Has the company highlighted the role of sustainable alternatives and the importance of curbing emissions at all levels? It should demonstrate how climate finance in general can be used to complement large-scale investments in low-carbon infrastructure, for example.
- Showcase how the company is allocating finances for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects and programmes.
Diversity & Inclusion Initiative
The Diversity & 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.
- 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
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 effects not only in the workplace but on a wider societal level.
- Did the company work to reduce its carbon footprint or introduce initiatives that benefit society?
- Did the company make socially and 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.
- 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?
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 life cycle management.
- 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.
Special Awards
NOT OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS
ESG Leader Award
The ESG Leader Award will recognise an individual who has set an exceptional example in sustainability leadership.
Award Finalists
ESG Company Award (Enterprise) sponsored by Microsoft
AIB Group plc
Dole plc
SSE Airtricity
Wisetek
Ryanair
ESG Company Award (SME)
Foxford
Irish Residential Properties REIT Plc
Mobility Mojo
Repak
SIRO
Speed Fibre Group
ESG Company Award (Startup)
Coopman Search & Selection
Ethico
Sustainable PR
Sustainability Works
Sustainable Supply Chain Award
Bus Éireann
Dairygold Co-operative Society Ltd
Wisetek
Biodiversity Initiative Award
Carbery
Hanley Energy
Host in Ireland
Intel
Nature Partners (The Nature Trust)
Keelings
Net Zero Carbon Award sponsored by SSE Airtricity
Aviva
ABP Food
Arthur Cox
Fujitsu
Schneider Electric
Energy Efficiency Initiative Award
Dairygold Co-operative Society Ltd
Dole plc
E. Flahavan & Sons Ltd
Schneider Electric Ireland Limited
Circular Economy Award
BiaSol
VivaGreen Group
Portwest
Refurbed
Spotlight Oral Care
Wisetek
ESG Finance Award
AIB Group plc
Initiative Ireland
Sustainability Works
Vivid Edge
ESG Investment Award
AIB Group plc
Aviva
Ethico
Mercer
VentureWave Capital Limited
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Initiative
Cpl Group
Mobility Mojo
SIRO
William Fry
Woodie’s
Version 1
Social Responsibility Project sponsored by AWS
Allergy Standards
Arthur Cox
Dalata Hotel Group Plc
Marino Software
Fujitsu
TELUS International Ireland
Employee Experience Award
Bord na Móna
GIY Ireland
SIRO
Version 1
Woodie’s
Good Governance Award sponsored by Irish Residential Properties REIT Plc
AIB Group plc
Ballyhoura Development CLG
Dole plc
Mobility Mojo
Future Planet
Speed Fibre Group