Each year EBI, Inc. and its award selection committee present Business Achievement Awards in a number of categories to worthy recipients in the environmental and climate change industries. Winners are announced by email, on our website, and in press releases in late January of each year. The 2025 Business Achievement Awards Ceremony was held at San Diego National Conference Environmental Industry Summit XXIV, April 1-3, 2026. The 2026 awards will be presented March 31, 2027 at the same location in San Diego.

EBI has two business achievement award programs: one for Environmental Business Journal® (EBJ) and one for Climate Change Business Journal® (CCBJ). Each is administered by separate publications.

From October-December each year, EBJ solicits the environmental industry community via e-mail, website, social media, referrals from industry advisors, and word-of-mouth for nominations for the annual EBJ Business Achievement Awards.

Nominations are accepted in 200-word essays in either specific or unspecified categories. Categories or size designations of environmental business awards may be adjusted depending on the volume of nominations or the number of worthy recipients. Final awards are determined by a committee of EBJ staff and EBJ editorial advisory board members. (The same projects or accomplishments should not be submitted for multiple categories. Nominations are limited to four per company for EBJ and two per company for CCBJ.

Business Achievement (small, mid-size & large firms: <$5mil, $5-20 mil, $20-100 mil, etc.): Winners are generally awarded based on growth in the most recently closed year, or achievements in profitability, major new project wins, staff hires or new clients.
Mergers & Acquisitions; Investment Transactions: Deals announced or closed in 2025
Project Merit: Projects completed or passed a significant milestone in 2025 noted for innovation or unique solution or partnership (water, remediation, NRM, EC, or other areas)
Technology Merit: Demonstration, development, or commercialization of a new technology
Information Management: Use of information or IT to support revenue growth, project efficiency, demonstration or visualization or software or system to collect, manage, analyze or display information, data, visuals, or analytics
AI Applications or Implementation Programs: New platforms, services, databases, software or dedicated teams using AI for internal or external applications.
New Practice Areas: New services or dedicated service teams, or new client platform or region or territory
Social Contribution: Employee engagement in philanthropic projects or fundraising partnerships; Social contribution of project to community assets, environmental justice or other social benefit.
Industry Leadership: Active leadership in national, state, or local issues that impact policy, programs, or funding to support environmental industry growth or mission; Educational partnerships to heighten awareness of key issues
50-Year Recognition: Companies in the environmental business in or around 1970 may submit a corporate history for recognition as a 50-year member of the environmental industry
Lifetime Achievement Awards: Individual awards for lifetime accomplishments in service to the environment or the environmental industry

CCBJ Categories

Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience: Practice growth or initiatives or projects in A&R.
GHG Mitigation: Practice growth or initiatives or projects in GHG emissions reduction
Low-Carbon Energy: Practice growth or initiatives or projects in renewable energy or low carbon power or energy
Other Climate Change Industry advances in segments: Storage, hydrogen, transportation, efficiency, green buildings, forest carbon, CCS, technology, etc.

EIS XXIV on April 1-3, 2026