The Winners of the ESG & Sustainability Awards 2024

The #TalkMoreThanFootball campaign, created by Three in partnership with Chelsea FC and Samaritans, aimed to break the stigma around mental health in football. Fronted by Vinnie Jones, it encouraged fans to engage in conversations beyond the game.

The judges said: Great, well conceived strategy, Vinnie Jones was a great choice to front and the results were amazing.

Parents are the single biggest influence on their children’s education and career decisions, so parents not considering T-levels as an option would disadvantage children across the country. This campaign showcased T-levels and their benefits to millions of parents, enabling them to move past relying on their own education experiences.

The judges said: Great strategic thinking in this entry, using research to uncover an insight on an unexpected barrier to young people pursuing T-levels and then identifying an interesting approach to tackle it.

In 2021, due to the covid-19 pandemic, all schools in Taiwan switched to online classes. However, many disadvantaged families do not have internet equipment, which interrupts their learning. Tzu Chi Foundation has been cooperating with wireless network operators and online game learning platform PaGamO to provide free network systems and game platforms for school education content.

The judges said: Really innovative, tapping into East Asia's high rates of participation of esports, the gamification element being used to support the national curriculum and broaden knowledge about the environment is very novel.

The Meet Your Digital Self campaign for Lenovo and Shout! explores the digital divide between generations and its impact on young people’s mental health. Zeno brought two people’s online personas to life as real time AI-Powered 3D avatars. In a world-first, these avatars were capable of having human conversations, meaning a loved one could ask this virtual version anything they wanted to help better understand this side of them.

The judges said: Love the core idea of bringing young people's online personas to life and the partnership with a mental health charity elevated the 'AI for good' message.

Avon’s Reverse Make-Up Tutorial features a happy, confident woman who, instead of showcasing make-up techniques, is stripped of her make-up by an aggressive partner. Created for Avon to support the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the emotive content reveals the seriousness of verbal, appearance-based abuse to highlight how gender-based violence takes many forms, not just physical. This campaign led to a 28% increase in visits to online sources of help.

The judges said: Powerful, creative concept with multi-market appeal.

Adelante Initiative was created by Ingenio San Antonio (ISA) and La Isla Network, with support from Bonsucro, Nicaragua's Sugar Producers Association and the German Investment and Development Company (DEG). It focuses on research to better understand global risks faced by workers, particularly in labour intensive industries, due to unregulated high-work intensities and occupational exposures such as heat stress caused by climate change.

The judges said: The results of these scientifically evaluated Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) protocols can be applied by companies all around the world. It does not have an industry or geographic limitation.

Torres Brandy Zero Challenge is the first global competition that brings together the world’s best bartenders to find sustainable solutions for both their creations and physical spaces. Conceived and organised by MUT, Spain's first BCorp-certified events agency, this innovative contest has showcased cutting-edge sustainable projects and was certified as a Sustainable Event in its second edition.

The judges said: Clever initiative and a great global campaign to reimagine the industry.

Esusu’s co-founders set out to bridge the racial wealth gap by offering credit-building opportunities to the more than 45 million “credit invisible” Americans. A strong credit score opens the door to wealth-building opportunities that have the power to shape financial futures.

The judges said: This is a very good example of a new fintech product providing both key market need and social good.

FutureLearn, part of the Global University Systems Group, has taken a bold stand against the Taliban's ban on women's higher education in Afghanistan. In response to this injustice, FutureLearn started a campaign to provide Afghan women with free access to its premium digital learning platform. This initiative offers over 1,200 courses from top British universities, including short courses and expert tracks.

The judges said: This is how you utilise your expertise and business model to achieve social impact. Simply phenomenal.

Wavin’s purpose ‘To Advance Life Around the World’ centres on creating liveable, loveable cities – this means forging a new relationship with water. The See Water Differently campaign by Wavin, supported by agency partner Tangerine, has brought this mission firmly into the spotlight and helped to position Wavin not just as a manufacturer of solutions to the UK’s stormwater crisis, but as a driver of this new, sustainable relationship.

The judges said: It was so exciting to read about both the event and campaign, both of which shone a light on the crisis and brought together stakeholders so effectively.

The popularity of food delivery has greatly increased the use of disposable tableware, creating more waste. Therefore, with the goal of "eating vegetarian, not using disposable tableware, and being healthy", Tzu Chi Foundation established an environmentally friendly vegan food delivery platform in 2021, using Hualien, Taiwan as a demonstration site to create a zero-waste food delivery service.

The judges said: A really clear problem within consumption that needed to be solved with a clear idea and implementation to solve. Good evidence of scaling over time to create impact.

Love Food Hate Waste’s annual campaign, Food Waste Action Week, aims to highlight the issue and educate the public on how they can do their bit. In 2024 – its fourth year – we had a clear target in mind. The specific objectives for 2024 were to:

• Raise awareness of the benefits of buying loose.
• Change behaviours so people buy just what they need.

The judges said: Fantastic application that demonstrated creativity, a focused call to action, and measurable results for both media and SDG impact. Well done!

The Weather Kids campaign, part of UNDP’s efforts to inspire public conversation and mobilise action on climate change on the road to COP30 (Brazil 2025), saw the disruption of global television on March 21st, 2024, with shocking weather forecasts from the future, produced to mobilise climate action today.

The judges said: Creative, smart and comprehensive publicity campaign and a credit to all involved that this was a pro bono piece of work.

CottonConnect’s initiatives focus on farmer awareness on the impact of climate change, uptake of climate-smart practices, and encouraging climate action. CottonConnect’s work with farmers has positively impacted over 4 million livelihoods across India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Bangladesh since 2009. Climate change efforts include the Climate Advisory Systems, Regenerative farming programmes, Women Climate Change Ambassadors and more.

The judges said: A very strong entry. It has both set the tone for behaviour change over time and already achieved significant reduction in environmental impact.

The Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) project is a pioneering initiative in Malaysia to regenerate the heavily polluted Klang River and its surrounding area into a thriving ecosystem. Through a combination of innovative technology, community engagement, policy advocacy and collaborative partnerships, SMG aims to restore river health, mitigate climate change, enhance biodiversity and ensure water security.

The judges said: This entry told a great story, one of the power of perseverance and shared purpose, alongside some fantastic metrics.

Thirst for Change is BSI’s integrated marketing and PR campaign in partnership with Waterwise, intended to drive global business and public awareness of water insecurity. As a purpose-led organisation, it sees an urgent need to bring attention to this within the broader climate conversation, driving understanding and action.

The judges said: 'Thirst for Change’ is the best I've seen in 10 years for explaining to a non-technical audience about water scarcity and what we need to do about it - whilst also containing an impactful level of detail.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) leads the region in climate action through its comprehensive Carbon Emission Reduction Program. Aligning with global, national, and Dubai’s Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy, DEWA’s ERP integrates innovative technologies, demand-side management, and renewable energy projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

The judges said: A long-term and multi-faceted transformation programme that has and continues to achieve notable results. Clear evidence provided of how tactics linked to strategy and to objectives, and the results were clear.

Killed Women is an organisation and network for the bereaved families of women who were killed by men. Earnies, founded by a woman, creatively directed by a woman, and supported by a team of incredible women, developed “Killed Here”, for Killed Women: black and blue plaques commemorating seven women murdered at home, all placed on the victims’ houses, then taken to Westminster to lobby Government.

The judges said: Very powerful campaign. Every man who saw this campaign must have felt deeply uncomfortable. This was an outstanding piece of work which highlighted a legal wrong in the UK. Let's hope the necessary legal change happens as soon as possible.

The partnership between Three UK and Samaritans exemplifies how technology and emotional support can drive social change. Combining Three's connectivity with Samaritans' expertise in mental health, this initiative has supported vulnerable individuals across the UK. Key campaigns like #TalkMoreThanFootball and Better Phone Friend have raised awareness, with 91% of football fans more likely to discuss mental health after the campaign.

The judges said: This is a truly inspiring and important partnership, demonstrating the genuine impact brands and charity partnerships can create when there is a desire to look beyond campaigning and truly commit to tangible and meaningful action.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority PJSC (DEWA) is committed to achieving sustainability across environmental, social, and economic aspects, supporting the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, aiming for 100% clean energy by 2050.To foster a culture of engagement and happiness, DEWA offers various initiatives for employees to participate in sustainability programs and volunteer activities throughout the year.

The judges said: This was a visionary approach to sustainability, DEWA's initiatives align with global goals and inspire a culture of positive change.

Tosyali Holding has obtained Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) documents for all product categories in all of our facilities, demonstrating our carbon footprint. This positions us as one of the manufacturers with the lowest carbon footprint in the World Steel Industry. We've created the 'Tosyalı V-Green' brand to segment our low carbon footprint products. There are just a couple of examples in the world and Tosyali V-Green as the green steel brand of a leading Turkish steel company is one of those.

The judges said: Tosyali Holding's Tosyali V-Green' brand embodies sustainability leadership, setting a new standard for green steel production worldwide.

89up is the global agency for non-profits. We work with more foundations and nonprofits than any other independent agency. Everything we do is dedicated to promoting ESGs standards and climate, social and economic justice. We help the people doing good things do great things. From taking on the finance sector over investment in fossil fuels, to fighting poverty and hunger, we create impact for the world’s most pressing challenges. We only work with charities and foundations and have turned down millions of pounds in business because of our ethics.

The judges said: Small but mighty really sums it up. 89up are connected and strategic operators delivering compelling and well executed PR and advocacy work - all while mastering complex issues in an even more complex business and political landscape. Very impressive stuff.

We’ve tackled loneliness, increased EV ownership, improved financial wellbeing and much more. Over the past 12 months, our aim has been to demonstrate the serious benefits of positive change communications for people, communities and the planet. This has led us to deliver impact for our clients, from reducing food waste to driving sales of vegan food. It’s boosted our efforts to support our team and set a standard for the industry. All while delivering a strong commercial performance.

The judges said: Kindred's positioning around the business case for positive change is not only keeping them in growth but speaks to the very real fear many businesses have about leaning into ESG in the current landscape. The work is clever, creative and compelling. Kindred is steadfast in its values and make a continued effort to prioritise employee wellbeing.

Bath & Body Work’s second annual ESG report leverages momentum from its inaugural report last year and details updates on its ESG progress and approach to work toward a more resilient and responsible future. The comprehensive report covers updates on the company’s ESG strategy and reflects on how it is learning and growing to take care of the things that matter most for people, local communities and the planet. The report continues to receive incredibly positive feedback from both internal and external stakeholders for its transparency, design and readability, proving to be a decision-useful tool for stakeholders.

The judges said: Beautifully laid out content with a clear link to brand and business and a wealth of data about ESG performance

With a longstanding partnership with Trafford Centre, BWP Group worked closely with them to develop, refine, shape, and communicate their ESG goals through the For Our Future initiative. By delivering transparency, accountability, progress, and forward-thinking planning, this report effectively conveys their vision, achievements, and challenges over the past year.

The judges said: This was a creativity driven and designed report with clear impact metrics.