More than two years since the green economy's leading lights last celebrated their successes face-to-face, the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards did not disappoint
It has been a very long wait indeed, but more than two years since the leading lights of the green economy last put on their glad rags to celebrate their achievements in person, the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards returned once again to the Brewery in central London last night - and the evening did not disappoint.
With 24 winners, 39 highly commended nominees, and one Lifetime Achievement winner, the evening was awash with inspiring individuals, organisations and businesses which yet again demonstrated the difficult job on judges' hands in picking winners.
Expertly compered by comedian Jo Caulfield, winners on the night included Octopus Energy, which took home the coveted Company of the Year award, and Entrepreneur of the Year Sarah Merrick, CEO and founder of Ripple Energy.
The Sustainability Executive of the Year gong went to Tor Burrows from Grosvenor, while Hugh Bartlett from Green Angel Syndicate was awarded Young Sustainability Executive of the Year, and Sustainability Team of the Year went to Avanti West Coast.
Later in the evening, Philip Dunne MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, was also awarded Politician of the Year for his tireless efforts in holding the government's feet to the fire on a host of crucial issues, from water pollution, fast fashion, the Green Homes Grant fiasco and its net zero strategy.
And this year's thoroughly deserving Lifetime Achievement award winner was Trewin Restorick, c-founder of environmental charity Hubbub, and formerly of Global Action Plan.
For more than three decades, Restorik has been at the forefront of progressive environmental campaign work, as well as helping business to realise their potential as the catalysts that can spark urgent changes to build a greener economy.
Over his career Restorik has been involved in thousands of highly effective green campaigns and helped hundreds of environmental executives build their influence and maximise their impact, all the while remaining fixated on how the green economy and a love of the environment can have a positive real world impact that actually improves people's lives.
A big thanks once again to the nominees and award winners last night, all of whom are tirelessly continuing to play a critical role in helping to drive the green industrial revolution that is so desperately needed. Until next year.
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