UNIDO ONE World Sustainability Award
In 2025 UNIDO will launch the ONE World Sustainability Award. It honours ground-breaking contributions to sustainable industrial development, recognizing businesses and individuals who demonstrate excellence in sustainability and innovation. The award supports the long-term development of industries and businesses, enhancing their market access and fostering growth.
The first-ever award ceremony will take place at UNIDO’s General Conference 2025, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It will be the start of a universal platform with high-level participants from 173 UNIDO Member countries to showcase the winners’ solutions that address critical sustainability challenges. And it offers a unique opportunity to drive paramount change and promote sustainable industrial practices worldwide.
Why Apply?
The award strives for long-term cooperation with award participants and winners - with the aim of jointly promoting the sustainable development of industries and companies and improving market access for innovations.
The award offers winners global visibility, networking opportunities with key stakeholders, and more. Awardees will gain international recognition at the General Conference and be featured on UNIDO’s universal solutions platform, positioning them as industry leaders in sustainability.
Applications will open soon. Stay updated for more details to follow via UNIDO’s official website.
Who can Apply?
The award is open to:
- Companies that integrate sustainability into industrial operations
- Start-ups offering innovative solutions for sustainability
- Organizations and institutions that drive sustainable industrial practices
- Entrepreneurs and individuals making a lasting impact in sustainable industry
Applications must be submitted within one of the following three categories.
Award Categories
Applicants will be invited to apply within the following main categories:
Recognizing businesses that integrate sustainability into their supply chains, ensuring ethical sourcing, reducing emissions, and improving labor and environmental standards.
Honoring young, fast-growing companies that provide groundbreaking solutions to sustainability challenges, from clean technology to digital transformation and resource efficiency.
Celebrating companies and initiatives that empower women in industrial sectors, breaking barriers in leadership and entrepreneurship.
In addition, special prizes will be awarded to:
- Pioneers in Sustainability – Individuals with a lifetime of achievement in sustainable industrial innovation.
- Blue Button Seal – Companies that meet the highest independent sustainability certification standards in supply chain management.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated by an independent jury of experts based on:
- Sustainability – Long-term commitment to environmental, social, and economic responsibility
- Impact – Measurable benefits to communities, the environment, and industry
- Innovation – Novel solutions that challenge traditional industrial practices
- Scalability – Potential for expansion and long-term sustainability
Partnership Opportunities
By supporting the UNIDO ONE World Sustainability Award, partners are championing a movement for long-lasting change. The Award sets the stage for meaningful engagement with stakeholders across industries, governments, and academia. Your support will drive sustainable transformation of industries, regions, and communities, creating lasting impact.
We offer a range of partnership and sponsorship opportunities designed to provide long-lasting value and ensure that they are linked with impactful, sustainability-driven initiatives.
These include the following two possibilities:
You can showcase your institution’s commitment to global development and sustainable industrialization by becoming a General Partner of the award. As a General Partner of the award, you will not only support the winner’s solutions but also create a universal platform together with the leading UN organization for sustainable industrial and economic development.
This includes prominent visibility at the award ceremony and beyond, alongside the opportunity to create a network with key decision-makers, industry leaders, and innovators. Additionally, this partnership serves as a basis for future-oriented investments and signals a true commitment to driving meaningful change for sustainability.
You can take financial leadership in one of the award categories, such as the Innovative Start-up Award, Women in Industry Award, or the Sustainable Supply Chain Award. This allows you to directly align with the winner's brand and mission, with specific areas of sustainability that resonate most with your values and interests.
How to Apply
Applications will open soon. Stay updated via UNIDO’s official website.
For further information please contact our expert team in Vienna: j.russmann@unido.org