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About the Awards
The RSB Transition Leaders’ Awards 2025, sponsored by Airbus, celebrate bold, credible, and practical leadership in building a sustainable, circular, and bio-based economy.
From fuels and materials to social equity and procurement, these awards recognise individuals and organisations delivering real-world change, and showing what’s possible when innovation, inclusion, and sustainability go hand in hand.
This year, we’re recognising excellence across five core categories. Winners will be selected through a uniquely robust, multi-stakeholder judging process led by RSB’s global membership community.
The 2025 edition is sponsored by Airbus. This reflects shared goals for credible, transformative sustainability leadership across hard-to-abate sectors like aviation.
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Award Categories
Bioeconomy Breakthrough (Early-stage Innovation)
Recognises:
Emerging research, start-ups, or technologies with breakthrough potential to enable a sustainable bioeconomy. These are not yet fully commercialised but demonstrate strong promise.
Who should enter:
Start-ups, academic research teams, labs, and early-stage technology developers.
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Sustainable Fuels and Energy Innovation
Recognises:
Innovations that decarbonise fuel and energy systems and enable credible market access through transparency, digital tools, and traceability solutions.
Who should enter:
Fuel producers, digital platform developers, technology providers, and traceability innovators.
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Sustainable Products & Materials Innovation
Recognises:
Innovative materials, chemicals, packaging, and consumer products that reduce fossil dependency, support circularity, and improve environmental and social performance across the lifecycle.
Who should enter:
Product developers, chemical companies, material innovators, brands, and circular solution providers.
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Leadership in Sustainable Procurement
Recognises:
Organisations using their purchasing power to accelerate sustainable supply chains through sourcing strategies, long-term offtake agreements, or investment in low-carbon, bio-based solutions.
Who should enter:
Corporate buyers, brands, procurement teams, and market-makers.
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Civil Society Leadership for Social & Environmental Impact
Recognises:
The work of civil society organisations advancing both social equity and environmental sustainability through advocacy, programme delivery, and systems change, particularly in climate- and biodiversity-vulnerable regions.
Who should enter:
NGOs, civil society networks, community-led programmes, and multi-stakeholder coalitions.
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Special Recognition Award: Outstanding Individual Leadership
Recognises:
An individual from within the RSB community who has demonstrated extraordinary vision, commitment, and impact in advancing sustainability in the bioeconomy.
Who should enter:
Nominations are open to RSB Members only. Members may nominate a colleague, peer, or themselves.
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How It Works
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Nominations are open to any organisation or individual, RSB member or not.
Once entries close, submissions will be reviewed and shortlisted by an independent committee of sustainability and bioeconomy experts.
Finalists will then be voted on by RSB’s multi-stakeholder membership, representing a globally diverse network of businesses, civil society, academics, and beyond — ensuring fair, credible, and well-rounded evaluation.
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Key Dates
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- Nominations Open to the Public: 23 July 2025
- Nominations deadline: 3 October
- Shortlisting: Sept–Oct
- Finalists Announced: October
- Voting (RSB Members): November
- Gala Dinner (Geneva): 9 Dec 2025
- Winners’ Panel @ RSB Annual Conference: 10 Dec 2025
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How to Nominate
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Any individual or organisation can nominate a leader, company, or project (including self-nominations).
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Get Involved
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- Nominate a leader (Nominations Closed)
- Attend the gala
- Join the conversation on social media
- Review the nominating and selection process, click here.
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