Recognizing the people and companies delivering real climate solutions across the food and grocery industry

The Climate Leaders Awards celebrate the people and companies in the food and grocery industries who are working to deliver real climate solutions and help shift our sector from being part of the climate problem to being part of the solution. In the spirit of the Climate Collaborative’s mission, these awards surface real-world climate solutions that can inspire, inform, and accelerate action across the industry.

Climate Leaders Award recipients will be honored during the Climate Leaders Luncheon at Climate Day at Expo West. The awards are designed to do more than recognize good work—they create space to advance impactful learning, spark innovation, and foster collaborative efforts across the value chain.

Share your climate leadership story

If your company is advancing regenerative agriculture, protecting forests, reducing short-lived climate pollutants, innovating climate-aligned products, communicating with integrity, or collaborating in new ways to drive impact, we invite you to apply for the 2026 Climate Leaders Awards. Winners will be announced at the Climate Leaders Luncheon on March 3, 2026 during Climate Day at Expo West in Anaheim, California.

APPLY FOR THE 2026 CLIMATE LEADERS AWARDS
Please note there is a $95 submission fee for each entry. The deadline to apply is January 5, 2026 at 5pm PT.

2026 Award Categories

Regenerative Agriculture Leadership

This award honors a company that has demonstrated significant leadership in advancing a resilient and thriving food system.

Forest Action Leadership

This award honors a company that has demonstrated significant leadership in protecting and restoring forest ecosystems within its sourcing and supply chains.

Super Pollutants (SLCP) Leadership

This award honors a company that has demonstrated significant leadership in reducing super pollutants such as methane, refrigerants, and other short-lived climate pollutants.

Climate-aligned Product Innovation Leadership

This award honors a company that has demonstrated significant leadership in bringing climate-aligned products to market in ways that meaningfully reduce climate impact.

Climate Communications Leadership

This award honors a company that has demonstrated significant leadership in communicating climate action with clarity, transparency, and integrity.

Collective Action Leadership

This award honors partners that have demonstrated significant leadership in working together to advance climate solutions that no single organization could achieve alone.

APPLY FOR THE 2026 CLIMATE LEADERS AWARDS
Please note there is a $95 submission fee for each entry. The deadline to apply is January 5, 2026 at 5pm PT.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for the Climate Leaders Awards?

Any company or organization working within the food and grocery industry—including brands, retailers, distributors, suppliers, nonprofits, and service providers—is welcome to apply. Entries should reflect work that is active, meaningful, and aligned with the award categories.

How many submissions can my company enter?

Companies may submit up to three entries across any combination of categories. Each submission must be entered as a separate form.

If my submission could work in multiple categories, which should I choose?

If your work spans more than one category, choose the category that best reflects the core climate impact or the primary intention behind the project. You can also consider where your story will be most useful for others to learn from. Each category is designed to highlight a different type of leadership. If your work truly fits across categories, you are welcome to submit separate entries tailored to each category (up to three total submissions per company).

Is there a fee to submit?

Yes. Each entry requires a $95 submission fee, which helps support the Climate Leaders Awards luncheon and the Climate Collaborative’s year-round programming. Submission fees are nonrefundable.

What are the judges looking for?

Judges use a simple rubric focused on:

• climate impact (proportional to company size and context)

• innovation and leadership

• replicability across the industry

• clarity of storytelling

• integrity and alignment with the selected category

We encourage applicants to keep submissions concise, clear, and grounded in real outcomes.

What kinds of supporting materials can I include?

You may upload optional materials such as photos, press, sustainability reports, video, or brief case studies that help others understand or replicate your work. These files are not required but can strengthen your submission.

When will award recipients be announced?

Winners will be notified privately in February 2026 and recognized publicly during the Climate Leaders Luncheon at Climate Day at Expo West.

Can collaborations apply?

Yes. The Climate Collaboration Leadership Award specifically honors partnerships between any mix of brands, retailers, suppliers, nonprofits, or other organizations. For other categories, collaborative submissions should clearly explain the role each partner played.

Are any submissions ineligible?

To ensure fairness and transparency, the following exclusions apply:

• Incomplete submissions (missing required fields, video, or payment) will not be considered.

• Submissions unrelated to the selected category may be disqualified.

• Work that cannot be shared publicly is not eligible, as learning and transparency are core goals of the awards.

• Climate Collaborative staff, board members, and judges cannot submit entries for categories they oversee or evaluate.

Can sponsors submit applications?

Yes. Sponsors are welcome to submit entries to the Climate Leaders Awards. To ensure fairness, any judge affiliated with a sponsoring company will recuse themselves from scoring categories in which their company has submitted an entry. Sponsorship does not influence judging or award outcomes.

Who do I contact with questions?

Please reach out to: [email protected]