What is the Sustainability Award?

The Sustainability Award in Automotive honors outstanding examples of sustainable solutions in a total of three areas. Entries are selected and awarded by a panel of experts on the basis of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which address key global challenges in the areas of ecology, society and governance. This means:

• The product or solution must contribute significantly to at least one of the UN’s 17 SDGs.
• It must not significantly compromise any of the SDGs at the same time.
• The product or solution must be marketable and implementable. The implementability and sustainability contribution must be demonstrable.

Who can apply?

Vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and start-ups with products and services from the passenger car, commercial vehicle, two- and three-wheelers, and micro- and urban mobility sectors.

How can I apply?

Relevant applications may be submitted online beginning October 1, 2024.

With which project do I apply in the mobility concepts category?

In the mobility concepts category, submissions are possible in three subcategories: Services, Infrastructure and Business Models. These include, for example, innovations in the area of new sharing and portal solutions, such as ride-sharing portals, station-based micro-car sharing, peer-to-peer sharing. All kinds of innovative and sustainable mobility service models, infrastructure solutions, and business models can be presented in this category.

With which project do I apply in the technology category?

Within the second parent category technology, awards will be presented for the subcategories: Complete Vehicles, Drivetrain Technology, Operations & Supply Chain, Materials/Raw Materials and Circular Approaches. This includes, for example, energy efficiency solutions, new energy storage solutions or new charging solutions. Also, circular material approaches (re-use, recycle, etc.) and improvements on supply chain sustainability can be submitted in this category.

With which project do I apply in the startup category?

In order to particularly promote and honor entrepreneurship in the context of sustainability, an award will be presented to a start-up in the third category. The startup can offer services in the areas already mentioned, but can also go beyond them with additional, innovative services in terms of sustainable mobility. Examples include the marketing of alternatively powered vehicles and bicycles, provision of infrastructure, support for grid connection and expansion, further development of charging management and general sales and funding advice.

With which project do I apply in the open innovation for sustainability category?

The category open innovation for sustainability recognizes outstanding achievements hat make targeted use of external skills and resources to increase cross-company collaboration.

What is the UK Spotlight Award?

This year, a special prize for companies from a focus country will be awarded for the first time. With the internationalization of the award this year, companies, products and solutions from the United Kingdom will be specifically targeted. The award is intended to recognize the achievements of the automotive industry in the UK in the area of sustainability, against the backdrop of special challenges following BREXIT and COVID. The UK Spotlight Award covers all categories.

What must be included in the application documents?

• Project/product presentation
• Explanation of how your project/product contributes to sustainability and to which SDGs
• Indication of how far the project/product is developed
• Other relevant files that may be relevant for the evaluation of the project/product

When does the application period begin and end?

The application period begins October 1, 2024 and ends January 31, 2025.

When are the award winners selected?

The award winners will be selected in February 2025 and are thus known approximately 4 weeks before the conference/award ceremony.

By whom are the award winners selected?

The selection will be made by a panel of experts from science, practice, associations, media and NGOs.

In which context will the award be presented?

The awards will be presented in March, 2025, at the international ATZlive conference Powertrains and Energy Systems of Tomorrow in Berlin.

Can I apply with several products/solutions?

If you have several products or solutions to choose from, please select the most promising one and focus your application on one project.

What do I get out of participating in the award?

The awarded seals can be purchased by the winning companies for promotional use. In addition, the award ceremony offers a very good opportunity for exchange.

What are the sustainable development goals (SDGs)?

The SDGs are political objectives of the United Nations (UN) that are intended to ensure sustainable development worldwide on an economic, social and ecological level.