About the WEC Gold Medal Award

What is the WEC Gold Medal Award?

The WEC Gold Medal Award for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development is one of the most prestigious forms of recognition of a global company’s ongoing commitment to the practice of sustainable development. Only global manufacturing, processing, or service corporations that can document well-implemented, outstanding, and sustained success are eligible to compete for the award.

Call for nominations is now closed

Why a Gold Medal Award for Sustainability Leaders?

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2024 Award Criteria & Process

Learn more about the Gold Medal, application process, deadlines here.

Submit a nomination

Submit a nomination here.

WEC Gold Medal Jury

Meet the members of our independent Gold Medal Jury can be found here.

Historic Winners

Learn more about the past winners here.

39th Gold Medal Winner

The World Environment Center is pleased to announce that its 39th Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to Jacobs. The Gold Medal Award will be presented to Jacobs at an in-person ceremony at Washington, DC’s Planet Word on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

The Gold Medal Award is presented annually to a global company that has integrated sustainability into its business practices, created ground-breaking solutions to critical environmental and social challenges, and demonstrated global leadership to accelerate progress toward a sustainable future. An independent Gold Medal Jury comprised of recognized sustainability experts selects the Gold Medalist through a global competition among nominated companies invited to apply for the Award.

Press Release

Read the full press release here.

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  • Multinational manufacturing, processing and/or services companies with operations outside the headquarters’ country.
  • Parent companies or subsidiaries.
  • Candidates that show improvement in sustainable development over consecutive years.
  • Past applicants may re-apply with the same application within three years of original submission.

The winner of the 39th Annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be honored at a celebration in May 2023.

Criteria for the award can be found in the guide, here.

Any person can nominate a company that meets the criteria listed. Self-nominations are accepted. It’s a two-step application process where: 1) applicants first complete the online nomination form, then if selected to proceed, 2) submit a full application. Criteria for the full application and guidelines can be found here.

Nomination deadline: Friday, October 21, 2022

Full application deadline: Friday, November 18, 2022

There is no official page limit, but applicants should aim for an ideal maximum of 12-13 pages. Applicants are welcome to be creative with their application and can submit their application as a PDF and annexes as a PDF or other common media format. More details can be found here.

WEC Gold Medal Jury 2022 list can be found here.

Nomination and application process

img WEC Nomination Application Process

STEP 1

Representatives are invited to nominate their organization to be considered as a Gold Medal Applicant by filling out the nomination form below.

STEP 2

All nominations will be reviewed, and companies that meet the application criteria will be invited to submit a formal application for the WEC Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development for our independent jury to review. The criteria and guidelines for the full application can be found here.

Winners’ Circle

Meet the WEC’s previous Gold Medal Awardees

2023

2023 – Jacobs

2023 Jury Citation & Press Release
2023 Recipient: Jacobs.

2023

2022

2022 – AB InBev

2022

2021

2021 – Microsoft

2021

2020

2020 – The Ford Motor Company

2020

2019

2019 – Ingersoll Rand (now Trane Technologies)

2019

2018

2018 – Ecolab

2018

2017

2017 – HP

2017

2016

2016 – CH2M (now Jacobs)

2016 Jury Citation & Press Release
2016 Recipient: CH2M (now Jacobs)

2016

2015

2015 – SC Johnson

2015

2013

2013 – Unilever

2013

2012

2012 – IBM

2012

2011

2011 – Nestlé

2011

2010

2010 – Walmart

2010

2009

2009 – The Coca-Cola Company

2009

2008

2008 – Marks&Spencer

2008