Recognising Impact. Setting Benchmarks.
The Next Zero Awards 2026
Awards Ceremony
7 October 2026
Held Alongside
GSA 8th Annual Meeting
A distinguished recognition platform honouring organisations, institutions and leaders driving credible, measurable and scalable sustainability outcomes.
VIII
Awards Ceremony
06
Award Categories
04
Recognition Tiers
03
Evaluation Stages
BRSR
Aligned Framework
Mark the Dates
A structured timeline of recognition.
The Next Zero Awards 2026 follows a structured timeline to ensure thorough evaluation and recognition of the most impactful sustainability initiatives across India.
7 October 2026
Nominations Open
Nomination portal goes live.
16 September 2026
Nominations Close
Final deadline for all nomination submissions. No entries accepted after this date.
17 September – 7 October 2026
Jury Evaluation Process
Independent jury panel conducts structured review and deliberation of all shortlisted nominations (approx. 3 weeks).
7 October 2026
Awards Ceremony
Winners announced and honoured at the Next Zero Awards 2026 ceremony, held alongside the GSA 8th Annual Meeting.
Award Categories
Excellence across two tracks.
The Next Zero Awards 2026 recognises excellence across two tracks — organisational achievement and individual leadership — spanning the full spectrum of India’s sustainability ecosystem.
Organisation Categories
01
Organisation
Excellence in Decarbonisation
Recognising organisations driving measurable emissions reduction and accelerating low-carbon transition strategies across operations and value chains.
Evaluation Criteria
- Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions reduction
- Renewable energy integration
- Energy efficiency improvements
- Low-carbon operational transformation
- Decarbonisation roadmap and implementation scale
Relevant Sectors: Energy & Utilities · Manufacturing · Cement · Steel · Mobility · Aviation · Infrastructure
02
Organisation
Excellence in Circularity & Resource Efficiency
Recognising organisations advancing circular economy principles, sustainable production systems and resource optimisation initiatives.
Evaluation Criteria
- Waste reduction and recovery
- Circular production systems
- Sustainable packaging initiatives
- Material innovation
- Resource and water efficiency
Relevant Sectors: FMCG · Retail · Packaging · Agriculture · Food Processing · Textiles · Consumer Goods
03
Organisation
Excellence in Climate Resilience
Recognising organisations integrating climate preparedness and resilience into infrastructure, operations and enterprise continuity strategies.
Evaluation Criteria
- Climate risk assessment integration
- Resilient infrastructure development
- Water resilience initiatives
- Supply chain continuity planning
- Disaster preparedness and adaptation frameworks
Relevant Sectors: Infrastructure · BFSI · Insurance · Logistics · Healthcare · Real Estate · Public Utilities
04
Organisation
Excellence in Sustainable Finance & Transition Capital
Recognising institutions enabling sustainable finance, transition investment and climate-aligned capital deployment.
Evaluation Criteria
- Green financing frameworks
- ESG-linked investment mechanisms
- Sustainable lending and investment portfolio
- Climate risk integration in finance
- Transition capital mobilisation
Relevant Sectors: Banks · NBFCs · Asset Managers · Private Equity · Venture Capital · Development Finance Institutions
Individual Leadership Honours
01
Individual Leadership
Sustainability Leadership Award
Recognising senior leaders who have made sustainability central to enterprise transformation and measurable impact creation.
Evaluation Criteria
- Leadership vision and influence
- Strategic sustainability integration
- Organisational transformation outcomes
- Industry and ecosystem impact
- Governance and accountability leadership
Relevant Profiles: CEOs · CSOs · ESG Leaders · Board Members · Transformation Leaders
02
Individual Leadership
Emerging Sustainability Leader Award
Recognising next-generation innovators and professionals driving impactful sustainability solutions and climate action.
Evaluation Criteria
- Innovation and originality
- Early-stage impact creation
- Scalability potential
- Ecosystem contribution
- Leadership and influence
Relevant Profiles: Startup Founders · Young Professionals · Climate Innovators · Researchers · Sustainability Entrepreneurs
Bronze
Recognizes foundational efforts and initial progress in sustainability.
Silver
Recognizes significant, measurable progress with well-established initiatives.
Gold
Recognizes outstanding leadership, advanced strategy, and substantial, quantifiable impact.
Platinum
Recognizes world-class excellence, industry-leading innovation, and transformative, scalable outcomes.
How to Enter
The nomination journey.
The nomination process is designed to be straightforward while ensuring that submissions reflect genuine, measurable sustainability impact. All nominations are submitted online through the official awards portal.
Nomination Fee
₹11,999/-
plus taxes · per category
Early Bird Offer
Nominations submitted before 6 July 2026 qualify for a 30% Early Bird discount on the standard nomination fee. The standard fee applies after this date until the nominations close on 16 September 2026.
Eligibility
The awards are open to organisations with active operations in India across manufacturing, e-commerce, retail, finance, infrastructure, and other sectors. For individual categories, nominees must be professionals or leaders currently active in sustainability roles. Solution providers acting solely as vendors are not eligible for organisational categories.
Criteria for Selection - Organisations
A rigorous, multi-parameter framework.
The Next Zero Awards 2026 uses a rigorous, multi-parameter evaluation framework to assess nominations with fairness, objectivity, and institutional integrity.
Demonstrated Impact and Measurable Outcomes
Weightage · 35%
Quantifiable environmental, operational, and business outcomes achieved through the initiative, including emissions reduction, resource efficiency, or resilience gains.
35%
Scalability and Future Readiness
Weightage · 25%
Long term viability, replication potential across sectors/geographies, and alignment with future sustainability risks and transition needs.
25%
Innovation & Technology Integration
Weightage · 20%
Use of innovative approaches, advanced technologies, digital solutions, or novel business models that drive sustainability outcomes.
20%
Governance and Accountability
Weightage · 20%
Transparency, ESG disclosures, leadership oversight, governance structures, and accountability mechanisms supporting the initiative.
20%
Criteria for Selection - Leadership
Honouring individual stewardship.
The Next Zero Awards 2026 uses a rigorous, multi-parameter evaluation framework to assess nominations with fairness, objectivity, and institutional integrity.
Demonstrated Personal Impact and Measurable Outcomes
Weightage · 35%
Quantifiable environmental, operational, or business outcomes directly driven by the individual's efforts, decisions, or leadership — including emissions reduction, resource efficiency improvements, or resilience gains attributable to their work.
35%
Vision, Scalability, and Future Readiness
Weightage · 25%
The long-term relevance and replicability of the individual's work or approach, including their ability to inspire adoption across sectors or geographies, and their proactive alignment with emerging sustainability risks and transition challenges.
25%
Innovation and Technology Championing
Weightage · 20%
The individual's ability to introduce, advocate for, or execute innovative approaches, advanced technologies, digital solutions, or novel thinking that meaningfully advances sustainability outcomes in their sphere of influence.
20%
Integrity, Governance, and Accountability
Weightage · 20%
The individual's commitment to transparency, ethical conduct, and responsible leadership — including their role in strengthening ESG practices, supporting accountability mechanisms, and setting a standard for credible and consistent sustainability stewardship.
20%
Eligibility: The awards are open to organisations with active operations in India across manufacturing, e-commerce, retail, finance, infrastructure, and other sectors. For individual categories, nominees must be professionals or leaders currently active in sustainability roles. Solution providers acting solely as vendors are not eligible for organisational categories.
Evaluation Methodology
A jury-governed framework.
The Next Zero Awards 2026 follows a jury-governed evaluation framework designed to ensure credibility, transparency, and objectivity. The evaluation focuses on measurable impact, implementation capability, innovation, scalability, governance integration, and long-term sustainability outcomes.
Stage 1
Screening
Conducted by the GSA Editorial Team.
- Eligibility validation against category-specific criteria
- Documentation review and completeness assessment
- Benchmarking against sectoral peers
- Preliminary scoring on evaluation parameters
Nominees that do not meet eligibility criteria will be disqualified at this stage. Shortlisted nominees may be requested to provide additional information or clarification.
Stage 2
Jury Evaluation
Shortlisted nominations are reviewed by an independent jury panel comprising senior sustainability leaders, industry experts, climate practitioners, and policy specialists. The jury assesses:
- Measurable impact and implementation effectiveness
- Strategic relevance and alignment
- Innovation and technology integration
- Scalability and replication potential
- Overall sustainability leadership and governance
Stage 2
Final Jury Deliberation & Winner Selection
The final round involves comparative evaluation and institutional deliberation by the full jury panel. Winners are selected based on:
- Cumulative scoring across all evaluation parameters
- Jury assessment and expert judgement
- Demonstrated excellence in sustainability-driven enterprise transformation
All deliberations are confidential. The jury’s decision is final and binding. Winners are announced exclusively at the awards ceremony on 7 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers, in detail.
What are the Next Zero Awards 2026?
The Next Zero Awards 2026 is a distinguished recognition platform honouring organisations, institutions, and leaders driving credible, measurable, and scalable sustainability outcomes. Held alongside the Times Now Global Sustainability Alliance (GSA) 8th Annual Meeting, the awards establish a rigorous national benchmark for sustainability leadership across business, finance, policy, technology, and innovation ecosystems.
Can I enter more than one category?
Yes. Organisations and individuals may submit nominations across multiple categories. Each category entry requires a separate completed nomination form and a separate nomination fee.
What is the Early Bird discount?
Nominations submitted before 6 July 2026 qualify for a 30% Early Bird discount on the standard nomination fee. The standard fee applies after this date until the nominations close on 16 September 2026.
How are the winners selected?
All nominations undergo a three-stage evaluation: Screening by the GSA Editorial Team, followed by an independent Jury Evaluation, and Final Jury Deliberation. Winners are selected based on cumulative scoring and demonstrated excellence across all evaluation parameters. The jury’s decision is final.
When and where will the winners be announced?
Winners will be announced and honoured at The Next Zero Awards 2026 ceremony on 7 October 2026, held alongside the GSA 8th Annual Meeting. The announcement will also be shared across Times Now’s media and digital platforms.
Who is eligible to nominate?
Organisations with active operations in India across sectors such as manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, BFSI, FMCG, healthcare, agri, and more are eligible. For individual leadership categories, active professionals and leaders in sustainability roles may be nominated. Solution providers acting solely as vendors are not eligible for organisational categories.
What period does the submission cover?
Nominations should reflect initiatives, programmes, and achievements executed or significantly advanced during the financial year 2025–2026 (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026).
What supporting documents should I attach?
Nominees are encouraged to submit relevant supporting evidence, including ESG or Sustainability Reports, BRSR Filings, Audit Certifications, Impact Assessment Reports, Third-Party Verifications, and relevant Case Studies. Supporting documents strengthen the jury’s assessment but are not mandatory for submission.
Is my submission information kept confidential?
Yes. All nominations and supporting documents are treated with the utmost confidentiality. Information submitted is shared only with the evaluation editorial team and the jury panel for the purposes of assessment. No commercially sensitive information will be disclosed publicly without consent.
How do I submit my nomination?
Nominations are submitted online through the official awards portal. Visit the website, register, select your category, complete the nomination form, and upload your supporting documents before the deadline.
Take the Stage
Be recognised among India's sustainability vanguard.
Nominations close 16 September 2026. Winners honoured at The Next Zero Awards 2026 ceremony on 7 October 2026, held alongside the GSA 8th Annual Meeting.
GSA 8th Annual Meeting
Nomination Form
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