Accelerate to Zero Awards

This award celebrates a standout entrant who has made the most remarkable contribution to decarbonising the built environment. Whether it's an individual or organisation, the winner embodies exceptional dedication and impact in driving sustainability, innovation and positive impact for the built environment and society.   

This winner of this award will not only be decided by the judging panel but also by BE-ST's audiences. BE-ST audiences will vote for a shortlisted entry that reflects the best overall effort, considering innovation, influence, contribution to the just transition and tangible results in reducing carbon emissions. The judges will choose the winner from the two shortlisted entries with the most votes.   

Shortlist:

• Matthew Clubb, MW Clubb Architectural Design 

• Laura Baron, Purcell 

• Alejandro Mar Morales, Cundall  

Cast your vote here.

This award is for organisations or companies who are working together collaboratively rather than competitively to accelerate the decarbonisation of the built environment. This can be collaboration between different groups of stakeholders - between commercial business and/or with academic and/or public sector organisations.

Shortlist:

• Midlothian Energy Limited, Vattenfall Heat UK and Midlothian Council 

• Net Zero Collaboration Group, ECD Architects, Hub West Scotland, Inverclyde Council, Renfrewshire Council, East Dunbartonshire Council, Doig+Smith, Rybka 

• High Rise Retrofit Programme, City of Edinburgh Council and AtkinsRealis 

Sponsored by: Scotland Excel

This award is for a new, innovative product, service or business model which has been adopted and/or created with the goal of having a significant impact as a low carbon solution. Entrants must demonstrate the viable application of the solution, the potential carbon savings made and scalability.       

Shortlist: 

• DfR Panel, EGG Lighting 

• Prospecthill Court, Kier Construction 

• BALANCE, Anderson Bell Christie 

Sponsored by: Anderson Strathearn

This award is for an organisation which is leading the way in creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace/sector. Applicants should demonstrate how they are ensuring diversity and inclusion (D&I) in their business, how they engage and influence others in the wider sector to implement best practice and be able to demonstrate what the impact of improving equality, diversity and inclusion is.     

Shortlist:

• Kier Construction 

• Esteem Training Limited 

• Changeworks 

Do you know a student or ‘early years’ professional demonstrating a significant commitment and contribution to solving the challenges faced in decarbonising the built environment? Nominate them for the BE Change Maker Award. Entries can be from any role or discipline.  

Shortlist:  

• Gayatri Vijay Kale, Net Zero Project Coordinator, EGG Lighting 

• Cosima Kramer-Lomax, Plumbing and Heating Engineer Apprentice at Ri Cruden 

• Kate Spalding, Planning Policy Officer (Climate & Place), Fife Council 

This award celebrates circular economy practices in action in the built environment. Awarded to an organisation, individual, product or service which has demonstrated best practice and impact that has circularity at its core. Judges are looking for products, services or action that is scalable and transformational in nature. This could be in planning and design, procurement, construction, operation, or end of life of assets.  

Shortlist:

• SUSTEIN 

• VASO by Eco 

• IndiNature 

This is awarded to the technology-based solution or use of technology which is the most impactful in advancing the built environment’s journey to net zero. Judges are looking for digital solutions that can have the greatest impact and that can be scaled and implemented widely. This can be in the fields of planning/design, construction, or operations/facilities management.  

Shortlist:

• Energy Insights and Impact Tracker, The DataLab 

• atBOS, Atamate  

• One Stop Shop platform, YorEnergy  

This award is for the company or organisation that demonstrates a leading approach to the growth of the skills needed to help accelerate the transition to a zero carbon built environment. Judges are looking for evidence of an exemplar approach to boosting skills which are being deployed to scale the decarbonisation of construction.

Shortlist:

• Beyond the Build - Embedding Whole Life Carbon, Queens University Belfast 

• Construction Aware - Glasgow Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Glasgow City Council, Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow, City of Glasgow College and FARE Scotland 

• Skillsminer 

This award is for the organisation, company or team making the most progress in decarbonising the built environment. This could be a solution, a product and or service that you have provided or created, that can be deployed at scale, and which is making a significant impact on addressing the retrofit and/or decarbonisation challenge. It is open to any type of organisation that plays a role in the decarbonisation of any element of the built environment: contractor, real estate owners, public sector landlord, professional services, suppliers, etc.  

Shortlist:

• St Sophia’s Primary School, Fleming Build  

• NHS decarbonisation, Vital Energi 

• EcoCosi, Changeworks 

Sponsored by: Kore Retrofit

For individuals, companies or organisations who have made a significant contribution to transformation on a local scale. This transformation should demonstrate a long-term benefit for the citizens of a community in decarbonising the built environment. Nominations can be from an individual or any type of organisation: business, public sector organisation, NGO or charity, community groups and so on.

 You can self-nominate or nominate someone/an organisation in your network. 

Shortlist:

• East Lothian Community Benefits CIC, The Association of East Lothian Community Councils  

• Community Home Solutions’ partnership programme with Staffordshire County Council, local district and borough councils, the NHS and ICB 

• Scaling Community Heat Teams, East Lothian Climate Hub 

Sponsored by: Vital Energi