Nominations open for Sustainability Impact Awards 2026, from Mar 9 to May 29

[SINGAPORE] The fourth edition of the Sustainability Impact Awards is open for nominations from Monday (Mar 9) until May 29, according to a statement by The Business Times and UOB, the joint presenters of the awards.

Launched in 2023, the awards recognise leaders and companies that serve as inspiration in sustainability development through their contributions to the environment and society. The National University of Singapore Business School’s Centre for Governance and Sustainability is the knowledge partner for the awards.

This year’s awards aim to recognise and celebrate enterprises that act as catalysts in advancing sustainability by enabling other firms to strengthen their sustainability practices. This approach highlights how collaborative leadership and ecosystem-building efforts multiply impact, said The Business Times and UOB.

Chen Huifen, editor of The Business Times, said, “With active participation seen in the Sustainability Impact Awards over the past three years, it is important for us this year to further showcase businesses which have influenced others in advancing sustainability.”

By recognising sustainability leaders, the organisers hope to inspire more enterprises to join the sustainability journey, Chen said.

The awards will be assessed by a panel of judges chaired by Dr Amy Khor, the former Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment. The panel also includes:

• Chen Huifen;
• Eliza Tan, senior vice-president and head of initial public offering admissions and sustainable development office at the Singapore Exchange Regulation;
• Geoffrey Yeo, assistant managing director, capabilities, urban systems and solutions at Enterprise Singapore;
• Professor Lawrence Loh, director at the NUS Centre for Governance and Sustainability;
• Melissa Kwee, director at Pontiac Land Group; and
• Tan Swee Yiow, president of the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore.

Dr Khor said that as countries grapple with geopolitical tensions, trade barriers and economic uncertainties, the realities of climate change do not pause and may, in fact, intensify, if global climate action loses momentum.

“The Sustainability Impact Awards serve as a powerful reminder that individuals and enterprises in Singapore have both the agency and responsibility to lead, innovate and act decisively in mitigating and adapting to climate risks,” Dr Khor added.

Eric Lim, group chief sustainability officer at UOB, noted that meaningful and scalable impact happens when businesses and individuals come together to collaborate, uplifting the broader ecosystem in the process.

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Professor Loh highlighted that sustainability is an interconnected effort which thrives when everyone participates in it. Moving forward, the awards will recognise enterprises that “excel in sustainability and spearhead others on this journey”, by assessing and showcasing best practices, he said.

As an extension of the awards, a series of Sustainability Impact Dialogues will be held, that spotlight emerging sustainability trends, share best practices, and foster cross-sector collaboration.

Applications can be submitted via the Sustainability Impact Awards website.

Award categories and assessment criteria

The Sustainability Impact Awards will comprise an individual category and an enterprise category.

The individual category honours individuals who have displayed “singular excellence” in environmental or social aspects, and those who have demonstrated excellence in both.

Nominees will be evaluated based on the social and/ or environmental outcome attributed to his/her efforts, rather than the size or impact of his/ her enterprise.

The individual category is subdivided into two awards – the Impact Leader of the Year Award and the Impact Leader Excellence Award.

To be eligible for the individual category, nominees must be Singapore-based and from entities with a “clear enterprise purpose”, including business enterprises, social enterprises, government-linked companies, charities and non-governmental organisations.

Nominees should also meet the terms and conditions in the nomination declaration form.

Similarly, the enterprise category recognises companies that have demonstrated excellence in environmental or social aspects, and those that have excelled in both aspects. It evaluates firms based on the social and/ or environmental outcomes attributed to their efforts.

The category is subdivided into awards for small and medium enterprises and large enterprises.

To be eligible for this award category, firms must be registered and based in Singapore.

Enterprises with a clear enterprise purpose, including business enterprises, social enterprises, government-linked companies, charities and non-governmental organisations, and those that meet the terms and conditions stated in the nomination declaration form, are welcome to participate.