From energy data analysis to automated efficiency upgrades, more businesses are harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to democratise energy and drive progress towards net-zero, while still grappling with the technology’s energy and water demands.

New for 2026, the AI in Energy Awards is open to developers, solutions providers and businesses that have either used AI to enhance energy management systems or improve energy data collection.

Buildings account for a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions and decarbonising the sector will be key to meeting the UK’s wider climate goals. Whether offices, retail, campuses, housing or public-sector estates, this award recognises building projects that have led the way towards a net-zero built environment over the past 18 months.

This award is open to retrofit, refurbishment or new-build initiatives that combine tech, design and operational change, this award recognises green building projects that have delivered significant emission reductions and energy saving. 

This coveted award is open to any consultancy or advisory firm that is leading the way in supporting decarbonisation and promoting new energy approaches while delivering quantifiable improvements and advice for their clients. Specifically, our judges will be looking for consultancies that have gone the extra mile to set and/or deliver against ambitious net-zero programmes, and ultimately ‘walking the walk’ with sustainability and net-zero themselves to deliver tangible results.

THERE IS A SEPARATE SME CATEGORY FOR ORGANISATIONS WITH FEWER THAN 250 EMPLOYEES 

Thousands of businesses across all major industries have now set decarbonisation targets which support the UK’s wider net-zero goals. While research suggests that eight in 10 large businesses view net-zero as a strategic priority, progress will only be met with credible and robust approaches to decarbonisation. This coveted award is open to organisations that have developed and are now delivering ambitious decarbonisation plans as they build towards long-term net-zero targets.

This category is open to large UK businesses that have implemented processes to drastically reduce emissions through clean technologies, innovative energy systems and unique energy management approaches. A net-zero target is not required for this category, but judges will be looking at how immediate decarbonisation efforts can be scaled over the coming years.

OPEN TO ANY ORGANISATION EMPLOYING FEWER THAN 250 EMPLOYEES

ENTRY IS FREE FOR ORGANISATIONS THAT EMPLOY  UP TO 50 EMPLOYEES (free code provided during entry process).

SMEs currently account for more than 99% of all private sector businesses in the UK. While sustainability has become a key focus for larger businesses, SMEs account for 44% of non-domestic emissions.

This award is open to any business employing fewer than 250 people that have developed and/or delivered ambitious decarbonisation strategies which put them on a net-zero carbon trajectory.

Entrants for this category must employ fewer than 250 employees. Entrants are not required to have a firm net-zero target in place, but our judges will be looking for strategies which seek to drastically reduce emissions through clean technologies, innovative energy systems and unique energy management approaches.

In partnership with Utility Week.

New for 2026, this award recognises the crucial role that energy providers have in spurring the transition to a clean energy grid by 2030.

This award is open to energy suppliers, utilities and DNOs delivering innovative clean energy solutions, flexibility services, electrification support and credible decarbonisation strategies. Entrants will also need to demonstrate their own approaches to operational and supply-chain emissions.

Efforts to reach net-zero are guided by scientific advice. As climate impacts worsen, the window to act shrinks and new solutions and approaches emerge, research that explains the risks and benefits of carbon-focused action is crucial to spurring progress.

This award recognises applied research and innovation partnerships that turn academic or technical knowledge into real-world decarbonisation outcomes. This is open to universities, catapults, research institutes and industry collaborations that demonstrate practical impact.

The shift to clean energy needs to benefit all, and organisations can play a key role in ensuring energy access at a local or regional level. This new award for 2026 recognises the large-scale, place-based initiatives accelerating the shift to clean energy systems at local or regional level.

This award is open to councils, combined authorities, utilities, businesses, developers and cross-sector partnerships, our judges will be looking for examples of systemic transformation rather than single-site projects, ideally showcasing the community-scale impact.

Focused on hard-to-abate processes, industrial heat and manufacturing transformation. From rising heat pump installations to large-scale district heating systems, projects are up and running to reduce emissions from domestic, commercial, and industrial heating systems. 

This award is open to any project or system-wide developer that are driving improvements in hard-to-abate processes, industrial heat and manufacturing transformation. Our judges will be looking for projects that pioneer innovative green heat technologies and systems to drive decarbonisation, with clear results demonstrated.

The race to a net-zero carbon economy and efforts to provide clean energy to all parts of society will only be won through the development and implementation of innovative technology services and business models which can be scaled to make a fossil-free future a reality.

This award is open to solutions providers and organisations that have championed a particularly innovative technology, software, service or system which holds the potential to decarbonise business and drive us towards a clean energy future. This is an ideal category for first-of-a-kind projects, pilots or demonstrators that have clear, evidenced potential to accelerate progress to net-zero.

The transition to a net-zero carbon economy must leave no one behind.

This award is for organisations that are championing a Just Transition and embedding social sustainability into decabonisation projects. Whether it’s charitable schemes, community development projects or social equality, diversity and inclusion programmes, our judges will be looking for socially responsible business initiatives which are driving positive change on the path to net-zero.

In the age of greenwashing and ‘greenhushing’, businesses of all sizes must credibly and accurately communicate approaches to the net-zero transition. From challenges, to opportunities, communications are key to dispelling some of the myths about net-zero.

This award is open to any stakeholder engagement programmes, community communications and/or public-facing campaigns that build transparency, trust and support for credible decarbonisation action over the past 18 months.

Changemakers come from all levels of seniority; from the business leaders to the on-the-ground workers. 

This special award recognises outstanding individual performances when it comes to accelerating the net-zero transition and decarbonising business. Whether the person being entered is a CEO, an energy manager, or another professional who is championing decarbonisation within their business – our judges are looking for exceptional individual performers that have driven positive environmental change within their organisation and have ultimately helped to make the wider case for the net-zero transition.

Businesses are responding to increased energy prices and meeting their climate targets through targets initiatives that have delivered reductions in day-to-day energy use and emissions across sites or operations.

 This new category focuses on measurable outcomes achieved through controls, optimisation, process improvements and behavioural change. Our judges will be looking for examples of organisation-wide reductions achieved through a combination of tech, data, process change and engagement.

One of our most competitive awards, the Product of the Year - Hardware award recognises excellence in market-ready, physical technologies and equipment directly enabling net-zero through decarbonisation.

This award is open to entrepreneurs, developers and organisations that have created or refined technologies that helps to decarbonise buildings, transport and more - ideally with results already being proven and plans for future deployment.

The Product of the Year – Software & Digital award recognises excellence in the digital systems that are enabling processes to transition to a net-zero carbon future.

This award is open to entrepreneurs, developers and organisations that have created or refined a particular software or digital product, this category is focused on solutions that deliver significant energy improvements – from cost saving and automation to mapping and implementation. Ideally, results are already being proven and plans for future deployment.

Renewable energy systems are a critical aspect of the global net-zero transition.

This award is open to any renewable energy project delivered over the past 18 months which has demonstrated clear environmental and economic benefits – from large-scale infrastructure projects and community-scale developments through to on-site systems and micro-generation projects.

Supply chains tend to account for the lion’s share of emissions and are therefore a critical area of focus in efforts to decarbonise. This incredibly challenging area is the reason behind the Supply Chain & Scope 3 Decarbonisation Project of the Year Award.

This award is open to individual organisations and coalitions of all shapes and sizes, this award recognises pioneering approaches to reduce Scope 3 emissions and drive environmental impacts across the value chain. Our judges will be looking for projects which demonstrate real collaboration and have driven tangible results over the past 18 months.

From software platforms to energy management providers, our judges will be looking for proof that organisations have gone the extra mile to set and/or deliver against ambitious net-zero programmes, and ultimately ‘walking the walk’ with sustainability and net-zero themselves to deliver tangible results.

This coveted award is open to any vendors, organisations and platforms that are focused on accelerating decarbonisation through client-facing work and solutions. 

With transport responsible for a quarter of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, this award has been specially created for any project or initiative that is curbing the impact of transport activities and/or promoted the shift towards more sustainable mobility systems – from real-world fleet, logistics or mobility initiatives to alternative fuels, last-mile deliveries and smarter business travel schemes.

Sustainability within business has been one of the UK’s fastest-growing professions within recent years, but not all organisations can continuously expand their in-house sustainability teams, or share expertise across the value chain. As sustainability becomes embedded across different departments dedicated training, upskilling and reskilling programmes are paramount to delivering sustainability strategies.

This award recognises the dedicated programmes and initiatives that build the skills and capabilities to deliver net-zero. The award is open to both in-house upskilling across departments, as well as dedicated training programmes to build-up a net-zero workforce across sectors.