The Planet Mark Awards 2020 | Sponsored By Prologis UK

We experienced something new last night, moving The Planet Mark Awards from the wonderful Sadlers Wells Theatre to an online, virtual venue. Whilst we were set on trialling a new platform to help people connect, we were concerned that we would lose the energy of the room and the enthusiasm that each year had kept us going through winter. 

But as the final celebrations wound down at 11:30pm last night and the feedback was rolling in through Twitter, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, our worries had evaporated and we had found something new and exciting. 

Combining the best of Zoom for presenters, music and theatre and the great networking platform Remo, we got the very best out of an online experience.  Yes, we miss Sadlers Wells, and we will return there, but feedback was that we created the best online event many had attended. 

Which is what we had to do.

For us, enthusiasm aligned with expertise, urgency, and a little humour, is vital to keep the momentum going. So, a great event is a must for the 200+ people that chose to attend and spend time together last night.

It is by working together that we will build on this mass awakening, the collective consciousness and movement that is manifesting so fast around us.  The Planet Mark community cut absolute carbon emissions by over 12% last year – that is in 2019, pre-Covid-19.  It is a remarkable achievement and reflects a collective effort made by so many companies and the individuals within.

And last night we witnessed and celebrated the extraordinary achievement of companies that have gone so far in doing the right thing. Award winners and finalists were celebrated for actively doing good in a community of organisations relentlessly cutting carbon emissions at scale and increasing their contribution to society.  It is humbling to witness and inspiring to follow.

The event went ahead because of the collective efforts of some dedicated teams within our community and the support of our members. A huge thank you to the Beaconhouse Events team and technical support, everyone at The Planet Mark, including our Marketing team Claire Walmsley-Moss, George Catchpole, and Ashley Richmond and Engagement team; Andrew Griffiths and Kendal Archer, for hosting the evening with such professionalism and passion.

We thank our category sponsors and Headline Sponsor, Prologis UK, who we have worked with for 12 years, demonstrating true leadership in their field and helping raise standards across the industry.

One year into the #DecadeofAction, this precious 10-years to 2030- when every year, month, day and action really matter, it is our responsibility to work together to drive change. We invite all companies to join us, to set the standards for a just society and a thriving planet. This ultimate prize is in our hands and in the gift of every CEO. We tackle these issues with unabated energy, enthusiasm and optimism and safe knowledge that sustainability and the regenerative economy are good for business.  And it works for society and the environment.

We love what we do, we love our community and Planet Mark family – we thank everyone for sharing their time last night. Now we carry that forward for some of the busiest months of the year – a time when most companies join The Planet Mark – we hope you will join our gang and be a collective force for good.

Sir Tim Smit challenged us all to take a leap from the high diving board – to be ambitious and put businesses and enterprise at the heart of the transformation that is underway. This is a leap of faith, not a leap of fear. It is time to set ambitious targets for 2021 and zero-carbon by 2030 is the path we must all take. If you could like us to help make that target a reality for you and your company, please get in touch.