FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards 2014 open for entries

Nominations are open for the Transformational Business Awards 2014, hosted by the Financial Times (FT) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and taking place at the InterContinental Hotel on London’s Park Lane on June 12.

The event is an evolution of the Sustainable Finance Conference and Awards – which had run annually for eight years up until 2013, developing into a must-attend for those in the industry.

The FT says its new incarnation, the Transformational Business Awards, “deepen and expand” the reach of the Sustainable Finance event so that all organisations – not just financial ones – are included.

It adds, “The new programme will highlight innovative, commercially viable and replicable products and services that address key development issues – such as the delivery of infrastructure, energy, food/water, education and health; the use of technology to empower the poor; and efforts to reverse environmental and social degradation – in a way that can transform economies, societies and livelihoods for generations to come.”

The awards ceremony itself will focus on “specific projects and transactions, and the impact those initiatives have on the problems they are targeting”.

Nominations and entries are being accepted in categories including project finance, information and communications technology, transformational finance and inclusive business. The entry deadline has been extended until March 30.

Judges include the FT’s US managing editor Martin Dickson, IFC vice-president in business advisory services Nena Stoiljkovic and FTSE’s head of responsible investment David Harris.

Preceding the evening’s awards is a full-day conference, where delegates will hear from experts on areas like the future of energy, the role of ICT in business and society and how to transform cities into smarter, greener places.

See here for more details on the event and how to enter.

Further reading:

Talking about sustainable finance: the FT/IFC conference

‘We’re all doomed’: Martin Wolf’s concluding speech at FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Conference

Why businesses must ‘shape and innovate’

What gets measured gets managed: sustainability in 21st century business

Sustainable investment is about optimisation, not maximisation