About

The Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) Environmental Leadership Awards are the longest running, and one of the most prestigious, environmental awards in the UK. They provide a unique opportunity for any business to demonstrate clearly that corporate responsibility is as an integral part of their organisation and that they are innovative and ahead of the competition.

The BCE Awards provide an excellent platform from which to enhance that competitive advantage in a way that can have immediate benefits and a positive contribution towards future generations.

Managed and administered by UK business, the BCE Awards truly recognise the importance of environmental excellence, innovation and leadership in an age where running with the pack is simply not enough.

Businesses of all types have a crucial role to play in being innovative in responsible environmental practices that help conserve natural resources and reduce the impacts of climate change.

The BCE Awards encourage business to set the benchmarks for environmental best practice by recognising the achievements of those that excel.

Entry is free of charge, so the BCE Awards are among the easiest to enter but, by stark contrast, the hardest to win. Only those projects that meet the judges’ demanding criteria succeed.

A registered charity and founded by Sir Peter Parker in 1975, the BCE Awards are sponsored by businesses for business, and are given to companies that the judges recognise as meeting the commercial demands of the present, without compromising the environment for future generations.

Since 1975, winners have included organisations as diverse as British Petroleum (1975), Thorpe Park (1984), Marks & Spencer (1996) and Renewable Energy Systems (2004).

Categories

All Awards are assessed on leadership and commitment, innovation and demonstration of real environmental benefits.  The categories are:

The Sir Peter Parker Award: for the best overall project.  It is named after the founder of the Awards, whose son, Alan Parker of Brunswick Group, is now a Vice-President of the Awards.

Product Premier Award - for a leading new or improved product.

Process Premier Award - for a leading new or improved process.

Management Premier Award - for providing leading solutions through innovative management systems and approaches.

SME Premier Award - for innovation and leadership in product, process or management approach from companies with fewer than 250 employees.

Major Commendations - are awarded to up to nine companies that, in the opinion of the judges, deserve recognition for their commitment to the environment.

Ceremony

The BCE Awards are presented at a prestigious ceremony with a high-profile guest speaker. The ceremony is usually hosted by Brunswick Group in June, in the stunning Lincoln Centre at Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. Previous speakers include Prince Charles, Tony Blair and David Cameron. Attendance at the ceremony is free of charge to winners and to short-listed companies.

The BCE Awards are sponsored by a number of organisations. In addition, in-kind support for the ceremony is provided by several environmentally aware companies.

Panel of assessors

The panel of assessors comprises independent judges who bring expertise from a wide range of businesses. Following an initial compliance filter, they judge the entries at various stages, carry out site visits and interview key personnel, enabling them to assess entries against common, stringent criteria. It is a process that distinguishes and sets the BCE Awards apart from other award schemes.

Vice Presidents/Trustees

A number of distinguished experts, representatives from industry and governmental bodies support the BCE Awards. Sir Anthony Cleaver is the Awards' fourth President. He is supported by a group of Vice Presidents, including several from leading blue-chip companies.  He is also one of the Awards' Trustees.

Benefits

Winning such a tough contest can be an incredible boost for an organisation, both internally, for the staff, and externally, with customers and in the wider business community. The BCE Awards are indeed a high-profile accolade for any company to be proud of.

Who should enter?

All companies that have successfully set new standards of innovation, business performance and leadership for the environment are encouraged to enter the BCE Awards. Entry is open to companies of any size and sector, from those just starting a business to multinational organisations.

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HRH The Prince of Wales
Presenter of the 1995 BCE Awards

"More and more companies do now accept the need to handle environmental issues in a strategic way, integrating such concerns at the very heart of management systems and decision-making processes."