Presented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, and BBC presenter & journalist Naga Munchetty, Clean Planet Group last night won the prestigious Lloyds Bank Sustainable Business of the Year Award.
The Lloyds Bank Business Awards are the UK’s largest and most prestigious awards programme, celebrating the elite across all industries, with a specific focus on championing sustainability, diversity and equality. The annual awards celebrate businesses and entrepreneurs who have made an outstanding contribution to Global Business.
From thousands of initial entrants, to a shortlist of 166 finalists, Clean Planet Group claimed the top award-solidifying its position as the Sustainable Business of the Year.
The evening included speeches and award presentations from Sarah Austin, Director of the Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards, the UK Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, BBC news personality Naga Munchetty, and Hollywood actor David Harewood; with the latter two sharing a fireside chat on the importance of diversity and inclusion.
The Lionesses also received the honorary award for Inspirational Leadership off the back of their success at the Women’s Football World Cup, which was collected by comedian Masie Adams.
Clean Planet Group's achievement over fierce competition at the awards ceremony underscores its commitment to addressing social, economic, environmental, and ethical challenges while achieving commercial success. The Sustainable Business of the Year Award, the largest category of the awards, specifically recognizes organizations that have made meaningful and sustainable impacts through partnership, investment, pro-bono work, and employee-led initiatives.
Clean Planet Group tackles the plastic and climate crises by building advanced recycling facilities which turn hard-to-recycle plastics, otherwise heading for landfill or our oceans, into circular products and low-carbon fuels. In addition to their commercial operations, the group's Foundation tackles social impact initiatives to educate and take action for the sustainable use of plastics, and reduction of carbon emissions.
Bertie Stephens, a Director at Clean Planet Group commented on the win: “Tonight, by midnight, over 1 million tonnes of new plastic will be made in factories around the world. One year from now over 80% of it will become non-recyclable waste, with hundreds of millions of tonnes entering our environment and oceans. We all must do more to support the sustainable use of plastics; it’s a crisis. Winning this prestigious award for the Clean Planet Group helps us accelerate our mission, and hopefully will alert others to the actions they need to make”.
Sarah Austin, Director of the Lloyds Bank Business Awards, commented:
“Sustainability has become a vital part of any organisation as it has a bearing on customer choices, employee support and investment decisions. Business leaders integrating sustainability and ESG considerations across value chains and business models are setting up their companies for long-term success and resilience. Clean Planet Group are standout winners. Kudos to the whole team.”
And to our team - A massive congratulations to everyone for the hard work, effort and drive towards sustainability!