This award is focused on those businesses within the tourism and hospitality sector who have developed innovative and ambitious sustainability initiatives and projects that address issues such as (although not limited to) diversity, inclusion and equality; enhanced biodiversity projects; improved resource management; customer awareness, engagement and behavioural change initiatives; community engagement; energy management.

Our judges are seeking evidence of the initiative/s that has been developed and the outcomes that has helped to drive forward positive change for all stakeholders.

Finalists:

Academy Restaurant, Ulster University
Castle Leslie Estate
Erne Water Taxi
Killeavy Castle Estate
Morrison Hotel
Responsible Plastic Management Program
Royal Portrush Golf Club

This award is focused on showcasing companies who are putting social sustainability, equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of their organisation. Whether it’s promoting equality and diversity within the workplace, developing charitable schemes or community development projects.

Our judges are looking for socially responsible business initiatives that are driving positive change for all.

Finalists:

Aldi
Energia Group
Global Action Plan
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful
The Kindness Postbox

This award is focused on organisations who have developed or delivered a successful green marketing campaign, or initiative which seeks to engage customers / citizens and stakeholders in their green products or services, or encourage more sustainable practices or lifestyles.

Our judges will be looking for innovative and inspiring marketing, engagement, awareness raising and/or advertising initiatives that are fact based, avoid greenwashing and lead to a tangible increase in awareness and / or engagement and actions among the target audience.

Finalists:

Createschool – The Rubbish Film Festival
Fish City
Global Action Plan
Responsible Plastic Management Program
The Earthy Marketplace

This award is open to all industry types and focuses on the development and/or delivery of ambitious decarbonisation strategies. Entrants for this category are required to demonstrate how they will dramatically reduce emissions across their organisations, or for their wider stakeholders, but are not necessarily expected to have an absolute net-zero target in place.

Finalists:

ESB – The Sustainability Transformation Enablement Programme
Farrans
Mid & East Antrim Borough Council – Hydrogen Training Academy
Pat O’Donnell & Co
Plaswire Ltd

This award focuses on businesses or organisations who are exporting a product or service outside of their own, local region and offers a more sustainable option for the end user, and / or considers more sustainable production methods.

This may include (but is not limited to) products or services that drive decarbonisation, improve upon resource circularity, and / or energy efficiency, and / or offer the end customer a more sustainable end product through it’s production methods for example.

Our judges will be seeking evidence of an increase in export of the goods / services over the past 24 months; how the product / service offers a more sustainable solution / option and what the overall impacts have been for all stakeholders.

Finalists:

Bioledger
Cubo
Heatboss
Plaswire Ltd
The Culinary Food Group

This award is open to all organisations and focuses on showcasing examples of best practice within proactive energy management that will enable a more sustainable future energy system for all. This may include (but is not limited to) the development of sustainable / renewable energy technologies, onsite energy management systems and / or consumer engagement and behavioural change initiatives. The award focuses on ambitious energy projects and initiatives that have been developed over the past 24 months.

Finalists:

ESB
Heatboss
Mid & East Antrim Borough Council
NIE Networks
SSE Airtricity Energy Services & Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

This award recognises initiatives that reduce wasted food within organisations across the Island, helping to increase resource efficiency, food waste management, the reduction of unnecessary expenditure and / or demonstrates a commitment to engaging the wider community.

Judges will be looking for projects that demonstrate tangible impacts, increase stakeholder engagement and / or awareness and ultimately help to advance the move towards improved management of food resources.

Finalists:

Aldi Ireland
Community Fridge, Ballycastle
FoodCloud
Positive Carbon
Waste & Resources Action Programme

This award recognises initiatives that drive an increase in waste and resource reduction, recycling and/or reuse or an increased focus on circular economy.

Judges will be looking for projects that demonstrate tangible impacts, increase stakeholder engagement and/or ultimately help to advance the move towards a more resource efficient and circular economy.

Finalists:

Bread 41
Farrans Construction Ltd
Heron Bros Ltd
Recon Waste Management Ltd
WEEE Ireland

This award is open to all consultant, consultancies or advisory firms that have delivered quantifiable environmental and / or social improvements for their clients.

Our judges are focused on applications that are helping clients work towards and achieve their sustainability ambitions that go above and beyond their normal practice.

Finalists:

Copper Coast Renewables
Fifty Shades Greener
KPMG
Mabbett & Associates Ltd, Rob Duncan
Metec Consulting Engineers

This award aims to showcase the most innovative and inspiring green building, infrastructure and architectural projects developed over the past 24 months. This is open to all housing and building initiatives and may include (but is not limited to) projects such as new building developments, retrofitting programmes and/or energy efficiency upgrades.

Finalists:

Fraser Millar
Queens University Belfast
SSE Airtricity Energy Services & Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
The Electric Storage Company
TODD Architects

This award is focused on the outstanding efforts and achievements of inspiring young sustainability and environmental changemakers who are driving positive change within their organisation, the community, the local environment and/or across the low-carbon economy. The award is open to anyone under the age of 30 (as of by the end of March 2023), and it can be entered for directly or through nomination.

Finalists:

Jacinta Hamley, Climate Craic CIC
Manuela Ross, Brugnach / TASC
Meabh Reynolds, GoPlugable
Padraig Meehan, OutForm Consulting
Una Barrett, Felix O’Hare

In a 2020 global assessment of 240 countries it was discovered that Northern Ireland was the 12th worst performing country for biodiversity loss, with the Republic of Ireland ranking 13th lowest.

This award seeks to address this issue and recognise the outstanding efforts of organisations, and individuals, who are working to enhance, restore and / or improve biodiversity across the region.

Our judges are seeking evidence of positive and tangible impacts that have been achieved over the course of the project, or initiative described.

Finalists:

Breedon
Gas Networks Ireland
Mid & East Antrim Borough Council
The Green Graveyard Company
Wildacres

This award aims to showcase sustainable best practice within the agri-food sector and focuses on producers and businesses across NI and Ireland that are taking innovative steps to change the way that food is produced, processed, traded and consumed, is developed in ways that protects, improves and restore wildlife and the natural environment and / or is working towards building a more resilient and robust food system for the future.

Finalists:

Bread41
Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt
Foyle Food Group – Aberdeen Angus Genetics
Green Pheasant Farm
Lynn’s County Foods
McAuliffe Pig Farms

Our judges were so impressed by the quality of submissions received from micro and small businesses that an additional category has been developed to showcase those who ranked most highly in this year’s judging process:

Finalists:

Bee Sanctury of Ireland
GoPlugable
The Courtyard Cafe, Ballycastle
The Earthy Market Place
The Green Graveyard

This final award of the evening recognises, from all the winners of the evening, the business who will be awarded the most Sustainable Business of the Year 2023.

This award recognises the organisation that has taken its environmental, social and financial performance to new heights in an effort to achieve a more sustainable future for all stakeholders and are working to advance a greener economy now, and into the future.

Unlike the other awards, this one is based on the merit of the evening’s overall winners and so there is no additional registration process.