Dozens of sustainability-focused British businesses receive Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

Pictured: The Queen congratulating Enterprise Award winners at a previous ceremony. Image: Royal Family

The winners of the 2022 Awards were announced today (21 April) as the monarch celebrates her 96th Birthday. More than 100 businesses received awards, with 31 taking an accolade for sustainable development, and a focus on environmental sustainability clear to see in the other categories as well.

Among the winners in the sustainable development category is The Co-operative Group, which is best known for its supermarkets but also provides funeral care, legal services and insurance. The Group’s chief executive Steve Murrells and senior ethics and sustainability manager Barry Clavin were recent guest speakers on edie’s Net-Zero Business podcast, providing a deep dive into the company’s 10-point climate action plan, published in May 2021.

A statement posted on the Co-Operative Group’s Twitter reads: “We’re very proud to win a Queens Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development 2022. Sustainability and climate action are embedded into the heart of what we do. Well done to all our colleagues who work hard on this every day.”

Also taking home sustainable development awards in the UK’s food and drink space are Origin Coffee, Healthy Nibbles, Union Hand-Roasted Coffee and Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate.

Other sectors with several sustainable development award winners include service provision (Supply Chain Sustainability School, Wates Group, DRP Holdings) and fashion (Bambino Mio, Birdsong London, WUKA, Elvis & Kresse, Monica Vinader). In total, 31 organisations were recognised for their contribution to sustainable development in this year’s Awards.

Several well-known names in the sustainability space received Awards in other categories. B Corp certified product redistribution and volunteering platform Neighbourly, which works with the likes of M&S, Lidl and Starbucks, received an Innovation Award, for example.

“The last few years have been incredibly tough for local communities and businesses alike,” said Neighbourly’s chief executive Steve Butterworth. “To have been able to grow a technology solution that has helped organisations to have a positive impact at a local level during this time is testament to a changing world in which being a successful business is being one that is a force for good.”

Other Innovation Award winners from the UK’s green economy include Chimney Sheep, which produces chimney blockers that improve the energy efficiency of buildings; JW European, which has created innovative processes for extending vegetable shelf life and minimising food waste; Element 1 Engineering; recycling provider Donald Ward and organic soap maker The Little Soap Company.

You can view a full list of Queen’s Awards for Enterprise winners here. Winners will retain their award for five years.

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