Corporate Sustainability Award 2023 Announced
The Corporate Sustainability Award 2023 winners were announced during the "Corporate Responsibility Award 2023 – Business for SDGs" Ceremony on October 12 from at Rustaveli Theatre.
The Ceremony was held with the support of the Government of Sweden, USAID's Civil Society Engagement Program, and the Council of Europe Office.
This year, applications were reviewed in two categories - large businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises. A jury comprised of both Georgian and foreign members evaluated the applications.
The winners were announced in the following nominations:
SDG4 - Quality Education
Large Business Category: TBC Bank-TBC IT Academy
SME Category: Micro Business Capital - Promoting Financial Education among Young People
SDG7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
Large Business Category: Procredit Bank, Georgia -Electric Car Promotion and Infrastructure Development Project
SME Category: Georgian Renewable Power Operations - Mestiachala Hydropower Plant
SDG8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
Large Business Category: Tegeta Holding - Tegeta for Social Enterprises
SME Category: The Biltmore Tbilisi Hotel- Empower Workforce, Drive Growth
SDG10 - Reduced Inequality
Large Business Category: MFO Crystal – Women’s Empowerment for Reducing Inequalities
SME Category: EY Georgia - Opportunity 4All
SDG12 - Sustainable Consumption and Production
Large Business Category: Tegeta Holding - Tegeta for the Environment
SME Business Category: Udanbno Group – Udabno Regenerative Transition
SDG17 - Partnership for Sustainable Development
Large Business Category-TBC Bank and partners: TBC—Fostering Green Business Opportunities
SME Category: Veli. Store and Supergmiri - Veli and Supergmiri
In keeping with tradition this year, the victors of the "Media for Responsible Business" competition were revealed. The accolade for the top television narrative focused on corporate sustainability was granted to Shalva Sumbadze, a journalist from Georgian Public Broadcaster. Likewise, Nuka Stepnadze, a journalist from "SKnews.ge" was honored with the award for the most outstanding online article.
For outstanding efforts to champion SDGs, the SDG Pioneer award - a special UN Global Compact Network Georgia award in the large business category was presented to Natika Berdzuli, Head of Strategic Communications at Tegeta Holding (Large Business Category), and Eter Chachibaia, Chief Operating Officer at MBC (SME Category).
The winners were awarded by USAID mission director John A. Pennell, the Head of the Swedish International Development Agency, and the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Sweden to Georgia, Erik Illes, Riina Kaljurand - Ambassador of Estonia to Georgia, Andrius Kalindra, Ambassador of Lithuania to Georgia, Alkis Drakinos - Regional Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the Caucasus; Meline Arakelian - Ambassador of the Netherlands to Georgia, Stefan Sirbu - Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, Julia Schellhaas – Senior Adviser Procurement and Supply Chains, Office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, OSCE, Tamar Aladashvili – Director of Environmental Information and Education Centre of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Anders Trelborg – Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Denmark to Georgia, Ole Lund Hansen – Chief of Global Operations at UN Global Compact, Marcel Engel – Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Germany, Steve Kenzie - Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network UK and Cristina Sanchez - Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Spain.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of companies participating in the competition, the diplomatic corps, the United Nations Global Compact headquarters and European local networks, international organizations, various state agencies, and the media