Puma Wins The Guardian Sustainable Business Award

The Guardian announced its Sustainable Business Award winners this week showcasing corporate initiatives that tackle pressing environmental and social challenges.

German athletic brand Puma was the overall winner, recognized for its ground-breaking Environmental Profit and Loss Account. The accounting method puts a direct monetary value on ecosystem services used by the business – such as fresh water, clean air, healthy biodiversity and productive land – and on the negative impacts a company has on the environment.

The Guardian says its judges look for projects that are replicable and inspire other businesses to act. Puma’s parent company PPR announced earlier this month that it is extending the environmental accounting practice to its entire line of luxury and lifestyle brands. Puma also won in the Biodiversity category.

Ian Cheshire, CEO of European home improvement retailer Kingfisher, received the readers vote for Sustainable Business Leader of the Year award, and Ray Anderson, founder of modular carpet company Interface, received a posthumous award for Outstanding Achievement.

The other categories and winners are:

• Built Environment: Igloo Regeneration
• Carbon: Sainsbury’s Supermarkets
• Collaboration: SABMiller
• Communicating Sustainability: The Co-operative Group
• Energy: Sainsbury Supermarkets
• Engaging Employees: Brother Industries
• Innovation: Interface
• Social Impact: Carillion
• Supply chain: Marks & Spencer and Veja
• Waste and Recycling: Desso
• Water: SABMiller

More information on the winning projects and runners up is available on The Guardian website and in the Best Practice Exchange produced by the paper.

Bart King is a PR/marketing communications consultant and principal at Cleantech Communications.