by Shane Henson — December 9, 2011—Companies that have demonstrated outstanding business leadership in carbon emissions reduction were recently recognized during the Gigaton Awards ceremony. The Gigaton Awards were given by The Carbon War Room, an organization committed to breaking down market barriers for capital to flow to entrepreneurial solutions to climate change, the Gigaton Throwdown, and the World Climate Summit.
Twenty-five companies were nominated for awards, based on an assessment of performance on a range of metrics, including disclosure, and reductions in the volume and intensity of emissions over the last year. Winners were selected by an independent Academy, comprised of business and civic leaders, according to both quantitative and qualitative criteria. The 2011 Best-In-Class Gigaton Award winners were recognized for the following:
- Consumer Discretionary: Tesco plc, U.K—for its work on supply chain emission reduction and Knowledge Hub showcasing pilots of carbon reduction plans and training;
- Consumer Staples: Philips, Netherlands—for its EcoDesign process—identifying environmental impact in terms of energy efficiency, hazardous substances, take-back, recycling, weight and lifetime reliability;
- Industrials: Schneider Electric, France—for its leadership in energy efficiency and the development of the smart grid.
- Telecommunications: Swisscom, Switzerland—for its portfolio of green ICT products and services, supporting a more sustainable work and lifestyle for its customers.
- Utilities: Centrica, U.K.— for its “energy in a low-carbon world” program enabling consumers to generate their own low-carbon energy and energy efficiency.
- Consumer Staples: Philips, Netherlands—for its EcoDesign process—identifying environmental impact in terms of energy efficiency, hazardous substances, take-back, recycling, weight and lifetime reliability;
The Gigaton Prize was awarded to Suntech, the company that has grown the renewables energy sector, while at the same time, growing a profitable business.
A Special Gigaton prize, newly awarded this year to the country that has been the most inspiring example for renewable energy and energy efficiency investment and deployment, was given to Germany.
