The green skills shortage has prompted many companies across the green economy to launch apprenticeship programmes. This award will go to a woman who as an apprentice has made an immediate impact in their role and has clear potential to enjoy a successful career in the green economy. The judges are looking for nominees who have had a positive impact on their business and colleagues and are committed to pursuing a career in the green economy.

Open to women working in the decarbonisation of the built environment, including through architecture, construction, real estate, retrofitting, and/or green home finance. Nominees must be able to demonstrate excellence in their role and the positive impact they have had within their organisation and/or at an industry level.

Open to women working in the development of high-integrity carbon market and/or carbon credit projects. Professionals working on the development and financing of nature-based and engineered carbon removal projects are eligible to apply or be nominated, alongside those employed by firms engaged in the monitoring, vetting, operationalisation, trading and expansion of carbon markets. Nominees must be able to demonstrate excellence in their role and the positive impact they have had within their organisation and/or at an industry level.

Open to women working in the clean energy industry, including, but not limited to, energy retail, renewables, low carbon energy development and generation, low-carbon fuels, and energy storage and demand flexibility services. Nominees must be able to demonstrate excellence in their role and the positive impact they have had within their organisation and/or at an industry level.

Open to women working on the development of cutting-edge clean technologies, this award aims to recognise those striving to deliver breakthrough technologies that have the potential to deliver a step change in efforts to meet environmental goals. Professionals working to advance green technologies across a broad range of sectors are invited to apply. Nominees must be able to demonstrate excellence in their role and the positive impact they have had within their organisation and/or at an industry level.

Open to women working in communications, public relations, marketing, or advertising who have shown excellence in promoting green businesses and/or the merits of the green economy over the past year. Individuals working for agencies or within corporate communications and marketing teams are eligible to apply or be nominated. Nominees must be able to demonstrate excellence in their role and the positive impact they have had within their organisation and/or at an industry level.

Chief sustainability officers, environmental leads, sustainability directors – this one is for you. This award is open to women who are responsible for delivering their business’ sustainability strategy and managing sustainability projects. To be eligible for entry, nominees must be the lead for sustainability within their organisation or business.

Open to all genders working in the UK green economy who are leading the way in terms of championing diversity and inclusion at a business and/or industry-wide level. Nominees can hail from business, the public sector, or environmental campaigning, and should be able to demonstrate how they have played a role in proactively improving outcomes for women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and other marginalised groups across an organisation or sector. Entrants will be judged both on their excellence in their role and the way they have helped make their organisation more inclusive and have supported the career development of colleagues and peers.

Open to women who have successfully founded and led an early-stage green business. The judges are looking for evidence of effective business leadership, entrepreneurial nous, and a track record of building a pioneering green business, while overcoming the challenges faced by start-up organisations. They are also keen to recognise entrepreneurs who have worked to make their organisation more inclusive for women and have supported the career development of colleagues and peers.

Open to women working in the green economy who have excelled in their role since returning to work over the past two years following maternity leave or other career break. Judges are looking for nominees who have demonstrated excellence in their role and have proven an inspiration to colleagues and peers.

Open to women working in sustainable finance and investment. Professionals working for banks, asset managers or pension funds, as well as angel, early stage, venture capital, and private equity investors that are mobilising investment into the UK’s green economy are all eligible for this award. Nominees must be able to demonstrate excellence in their role and the positive impact they have had within their organisation and/or at an industry level.

Open to women business leaders who are able to demonstrate the impact they have had in driving positive environmental change at their organisation and beyond, including by making the wider case for the net zero transition and more sustainable business models. CEOs, entrepreneurs, and senior business leaders who have spearheaded a key green initiative and/or led significant positive change within their organisation are all eligible for this award. Entrants will be judged both on their excellence in their role and the way they have helped make their organisation more inclusive for women and have supported the career development of colleagues and peers.

This special award will go to a woman who has worked to advance the cause of the green economy throughout their career. The winner of the award will be selected by the BusinessGreen team with input from our judging panel. However, if you would like to nominate a green business figure who you think is particularly deserving of the BusinessGreen Lifetime Achievement Award then comments on their merits will be taken into consideration.

This award is open to all genders and aims to recognise those working in the UK’s green economy who can demonstrate they have played a major role in supporting and encouraging women to fulfil their potential within the workplace. The judges are looking to recognise an inspiring leader from the world of green business who has not only proven successful in their own right, but has also been instrumental in making their organisation more inclusive for women and supporting the career development of colleagues and peers.

Open to women working in nature protection and conservation, be it through nature-related innovation, biodiversity consultancy, corporate nature policy development, and/or nature restoration and protection projects. Professionals working for businesses, campaign groups, and trade bodies focused on protecting and restoring nature are all eligible for this award. Successful nominees must be able to demonstrate excellence in their role and provide evidence of the positive impact they have had within their organisation and/or an industry level.

This special award will go to the politician who has done the most to advance the cause of women in the green economy in the past year. The winner of the award will be selected by the BusinessGreen team with input from our judging panel. However, if you would like to nominate a politician who you think is particularly deserving of the title of the Women in Green Business’ Politician of the Year then comments on their merits will be taken into consideration.

Open to women across the green economy who have made an impressive impact in a short space or time and are likely to enjoy continued success in the coming years. Nominees must have worked in a green role or sector for fewer than five years as of 1 October 2025, but there is no age limit for candidates for this award.

Open to women working to curb the environmental impact of transport activities or promote more sustainable forms of mobility. This can include, but is not limited to, professionals working in low-carbon shipping and aviation, electric vehicles, fleet decarbonisation, low-carbon delivery services, clean transport fuels, public transport, and active travel. Nominees must be able to demonstrate excellence in their role and the positive impact they have had within their organisation and/or at an industry level.

This prestigious award goes to a woman who has delivered outstanding achievements for the UK’s green economy over the course of the last year. Nominees must be able to demonstrate the mark they have had at their company, across their sector, and/or in support of the UK’s green economy. The award is open to women working at any level of seniority within the green economy, with the strongest contenders able to provide clear evidence of the successful initiatives and programmes they have worked on, their commitment to and understanding of the green economy and net zero transition, and how they have helped colleagues and peers embrace greener practices and business models.

This award will go to a woman who can demonstrate excellence in a STEM role over the past year and has played a role in encouraging more women to enter the sector. Nominees must be able to demonstrate the positive impact they have had on a project, team, business, and/or at an industry level, as well as their work to promote STEM-based careers to more women and advance the careers of colleagues and peers.

Open to any business working in the green economy, this award will recognise an organisation with a strong track record of promoting and enhancing gender diversity internally and across their sector. The judges are looking for evidence of a relatively high percentage of women both across the business and in senior positions; effective policies and programmes to boost representation of women and make the workplace more inclusive to diverse talent; how the company has proven a supportive environment for women employees; and the organisation’s role in addressing gender inequalities across their sector or region. They are also looking for how the company can provide a showcase for how other businesses can improve the number and seniority of women working across the green economy.

This category is open to any campaign that has sought to promote and advance women working within the green economy. It can include partnerships with third parties, such as charities, other businesses, and educational or community groups, as well as both internal-facing campaigns supporting women employees and external-facing campaigns that aim to support women across an industry or community. The judges are looking for innovative and impactful campaigns that have resonated with their audiences and delivered positive results. They are keen to hear how the campaign was conceived and executed, how it was received, and what impacts it has had.

Open to businesses working in the green economy who have adopted or strengthened a diversity and inclusion strategy in the past 18 months. The judges want to hear how and why the strategy was developed, what innovative policies were incorporated, how the strategy has been received, and what results it has delivered. They are looking for examples of successful policies that have enhanced diversity and inclusion in all its forms, while also improving the experience of women in the workplace and delivering more supportive family policies. They are also keen to hear how the strategy helps support wider CSR, sustainability, or net zero efforts.

Open to any small business with fewer than 200 employees, this award will go to an organisation with a strong track record of promoting and enhancing gender diversity internally and/or across their sector. The judges will be looking for evidence of a relatively high percentage of women working both across the business and in senior positions; effective policies and programmes to boost representation of women and make the workplace more inclusive to diverse talent; and the way the company has become a supportive environment for women employees.