I. Purpose
The purpose of the Green Economy Awards is to recognize the achievement of those rare and courageous individuals, organizations, and corporations that have made an extraordinary contribution to creating a global green economy.
II. Criteria
The Green Economy Awards selection criteria are:
- Visionary leadership
- Enduring contribution
- Personal commitment and persistence
- Courageous action
- Integrity
In accordance with the definition of the green economy, the Green Economy Awards are not bestowed upon individuals, organizations or corporations that at the present time are primarily engaged in the coal, oil, natural gas or nuclear industries.
III. Award Categories
The Green Economy Awards are comprised of three components:
- Green Economy Hall of Fame: inductees into the Green Economy Hall of Fame are legendary individuals who have made an exceptional lifetime contribution to creating a green economy through global accomplishments that transcend industry, geography and time. Mahatma Gandhi said: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” The Green Economy Hall of Fame inductees embody the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi because they — through their extraordinary lives and enduring contributions — became the change necessary to move the world towards a green economy. Green Economy Hall of Fame inductees have made their mark on history and serve as a source of timeless inspiration, resolve and committed action for current and future generations alike as we fulfill the dreams of humanity and the natural world in our common journey towards creating a global green economy
- Industry Pioneers Awards: the Industry Pioneers Awards are presented to those individuals who have served as the pioneering leaders of a selected industry on a worldwide basis (in 2014, this will be the Industry Pioneer Awards for Leadership in the Global Carbon Market). Unlike inductees into the Green Economy Hall of Fame who transcend industry, geography and time, the Industry Pioneer Awards are meant to honor remarkable achievement within one industry
- Green Economy Company of the Year or Green Economy CEO of the Year: awarded to a company or a CEO in each of the 25 industries (listed below in alphabetical order) that make up the green economy and in select industries or functions that contribute to creating a green economy (e.g. project finance):
- Biofuels
- Biomass
- Carbon capture and storage
- Carbon markets and renewable energy credits
- Climate change adaptation services
- Distributed generation
- Ecosystem services
- Energy efficiency, recycling, conservation, software and controls
- Energy storage, batteries and fuel cells
- Geothermal energy
- Green design
- Green IT
- Green buildings, materials and construction products
- Green transportation technologies and green vehicles
- Hydropower
- Ocean power
- REDD
- Smart grid
- Solar energy
- Sustainable and organic agriculture, food and products
- Waste management
- Wastewater management
- Waste-to-energy
- Water and water technologies
- Wind energy
IV. The Green Economy Awards Ceremony
The Green Economy Awards are organized and presented by the Green Economy Group. The Green Economy Awards Ceremony is held at the annual Green Economy Conference.
At the Green Economy Conference 2014, the Green Economy Awards Ceremony will feature the following three components:
- 2014 Green Economy Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
- Industry Pioneers Awards Ceremony: this ceremony is entitled the 2014 Industry Pioneer Awards for Leadership in the Global Carbon Market
- 2014 Ceremony for the Green Economy Company of the Year and/or the Green Economy CEO of the Year in each of the 25 categories that make up the green economy
V. The Green Economy Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
At the Green Economy Awards Ceremony 2014, a total of 12 individuals will be inducted into the Green Economy Hall of Fame, including the following:
- John Muir for, among other things, founding the Sierra Club in 1892 and serving as its first president, helping to pass the U.S. National Park Bill of 1899 that established both Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park, as well as his seminal environmental writings
- Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, for serving as a central architect behind the expansion of the national parks system in the United States
- Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, for founding the U.S. National Park Service in 1916
- Rachel Carson, the marine biologist and nature writer, for serving as an instrumental catalyst in the creation of the global environmental movement through her writings, including Silent Spring.
V. Nominations
We invite nominations for all award categories. Nominations should include your name, position, organization, background information about how you know the nominee as well as a detailed description of the reasons for the nomination and how the candidate meets the criteria of the Green Economy Awards. Nominations are due by Jan 15, 2014. Email nominations to nominations@greeneconomygroup.com
To learn more, you can receive updates about the green economy conference where the Green Economy Awards will be presented and explore social media options.
