Categories and Criteria

To illuminate impact, a future where carbon and justice are a single metric.

Our approach is built on two core pillars: the criteria, which define the enduring essence of what we reward, and the categories, which reflect the evolving application of these values in a changing world.

1. Criteria: The Foundation of Excellence
The General Criteria are the fundamental standards that all winners must demonstrate. They represent our unwavering commitment to a holistic view of sustainability. We assess:

• Commitment & Leadership: Leading by example on the path to decarbonisation.

• Transparent Communication: Maintaining clear communication and avoiding any form of "colour-washing."

• Strategic Contribution: The product, service, or solution's alignment with its category's objectives.

• Measurable Impact & Sustainability: Quantifiable benefits for society, the environment, and the economy, while ensuring long-term viability and scalability.

• Operational Excellence: High standards and superior performance, integrating ethical practices throughout the value chain.

• A Positive, Collaborative Approach: Building bridges and fostering an optimistic environment that drives decarbonisation solutions forward.

• Strategic Vision: A clear, long-term vision with concrete steps towards achieving net-zero emissions.

• Transformative Innovation: Introducing disruptive solutions that can redefine practices and generate scalable impact.

2. Categories: Application in a Moving World
The Carbon Positive Awards are guided by a fixed mission and vision. But the world these Awards seek to illuminate is not fixed. It shifts. It surprises. It demands a framework that can move with it.

This is why our categories and criteria are reviewed each year. We do not change them for novelty's sake. We change them to remain relevant: to reflect new geographies, emerging technologies, evolving market dynamics, and the quiet leadership that might otherwise go unnoticed.

For every annual cycle, we publish the Terms and Conditions that governed that year's selection. They are our commitment to traceability: anyone can look back and understand why certain choices were made, under what rules, and with what focus.

The essence endures. The application evolves. And we document both.