Working to encourage the advancement of clean tech and sustainable solutions, The World Economic Forum and The Forum of Young Global Leaders, in partnership with Accenture, announced the seven Circulars award winners at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. For the past five years, the increasingly popular annual awards ceremony recognizes individuals and organizations worldwide working to promote sustainability within the private sector, public sector, and society.
The circular economy attempts to keep resources in usage for as long as possible, ensuring minimum waste, with a $4.5 trillion growth opportunity. One example of this is Lehigh Technologies, who received the Young Global Leaders Award for Circular Economy Small to Medium-sized Enterprise for turning used tires that would have been thrown out into competitive feedstock for new products.
Another company, Winnow, won The Ecolab Award for Circular Economy Tech Disruptor for enhancing the food industry with a smart meter that’s connected to commercial kitchens, enabling chefs to monitor and reduce food waste. One individual, Professor Flemming Besenbacher, won The Fortune Award for Circular Economy Leadership for advancing circular economic policy in Denmark and around the world.
Other companies that received recognition are Schneider Electric who won the Accenture Strategy Award for Circular Economy Multinational, TriCiclos, which won The Dell Circular Economy People’s Choice Award, The European Commission which won the World Economic Forum Award for Circular Economy Public Sector, and Impax Asset Management, which won the Gulf International Bank Award for Circular Economy Investor.
“Consumers, employees, stakeholders and policymakers alike expect companies to lead with purpose around sustainability and are holding them accountable. Inaction or idleness can severely harm competitiveness, with a drop in stakeholder trust costing businesses globally $180 billion in potential revenues,” said Peter Lacy, Senior Managing Director of Accenture Strategy.
