Barclays announces winners of green business awards
Published : September 2008
Innocent Drinks, Zytek Automotive and Moixa Energy have won the inaugural Green Business leaders awards from Barclays Commercial Bank.
The awards, open to all UK and Irish companies, are designed to recognise leading companies that “use pioneering processes or new sustainable technologies, products or services to help beat climate change and boost their profits.”
Innocent Drinks won the flagship award for businesses with a turnover of £20m. The judges were particularly impressed with how its management has embedded carbon into every aspect of the business, including using natural ingredients, sustainable packaging and sharing profits.
Zytek Automotive won the £1m to £20m category. The company designs electronic controls for high performance engines, including those used in Formula 1, but has more recently begun developing no emission, electric cars.
Moixa Energy won the award for businesses turning over less than £1m. The company invents new technologies that use electricity in a far more efficient way. Its first product is a rechargeable battery that plugs into any computer’s USB port.
Barclays also commended one other business in each class. Ecotricity was recognised in the £20m plus category. The company, which as founded in 1995, designs, plans, finances, builds and operates wind turbines and supplies 35,000 homes and 3,000 businesses in the UK, saving over 100,000 tonnes of CO2. Futerra, a communications agency that works exclusively on CSR and sustainability briefs, was commended in the £1m to £20m category. The final commendation went to Eco Hoardings, which makes environmentally friendly alternatives to wood-based products for the construction industry.
The other finalists were washable nappy manufacturer Lollipop Children’s Products; sustainable holiday developer Charteroak Estates; recycler Sweeep; eco bag manufacturer Jutexpo; biomass utility operator Sembcorp UK; and environmental consultancy WSP Environment and Energy.
The judging panel comprised Tom Burke, chief advisor on environmental policy at Rio Tinto; Kristen Hallam, global team leader of environmental news at Bloomberg; Andrew Flett, global head of environmental sustainability at Barclays Bank; Henry Garthwaite, key account manager at the Carbon Trust; Edwina Silvester, head of corporate partnerships at WWF UK; and Roger Adams, executive director of policy at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.