This year’s Summit Awards program brought 2,666 people to the polls—proving that showing up counts. With help of the public vote, we selected the winners for the three Summit Awards that highlight Leadership, Partnership and Change & Innovation. These awards honor members and environmental partners going above and beyond their 1% commitment.

The second night of Global Summit 2024 held our Summit Award Celebration, presented by Flickr, where all winners were highlighted and given awards created by member Awardology. We interviewed each winner on the impact of environmental giving and their individual milestones:

Leadership with Booth & Partners

How has 1% for the Planet made an impact on your organization?

Joining 1% for the Planet has been a cornerstone of our commitment to sustainability. This decision has created a ripple effect throughout our organization, influencing our culture, brand and business practices. Here's how our membership has positively impacted our organization:

Enhanced Employee Engagement: Our membership inspires employees to feel more connected to a meaningful cause. This fosters a more engaged workforce who share the same values with the company.

Strengthened Brand Reputation: It enhanced Booth & Partners' brand reputation. Clients increasingly valued businesses that prioritize sustainability, and the organization did attract environmentally conscious clients.

Innovation and Sustainability: Our commitment to sustainability drives innovation, leading to the development of more sustainable services. We've implemented practices to reduce our carbon footprint and, in return, reduced costs associated with waste, energy consumption, and resource usage.

Network and Collaboration: Being part of the 1% for the Planet network provides opportunities to collaborate with other like-minded businesses and environmental organizations. By sharing best practices and experiences, we learn from others and contribute to the broader sustainability movement.

Direct Environmental Support: By donating 1% of our topline revenue annually, we directly support environmental organizations working to address critical issues. The organization uses its platform to raise awareness about environmental issues and educate its customers and stakeholders.

Financial Sustainability: Our membership with 1% for the Planet is financially sustainable because it operates on a percentage basis, correlated with our company’s revenue. This  approach ensures our donation scales with our business growth, promoting long-term sustainability.

What milestone are you most proud of?

Our most significant achievement with 1% for the Planet is the global network of partnerships we've cultivated. Beyond mere financial contributions, these alliances have enabled us to actively engage in a diverse range of environmental and social initiatives worldwide.

Our 1% for the Planet partnerships have extended beyond financial support to encompass collaborative projects, knowledge sharing and advocacy. We've engaged in joint initiatives, such as volunteer programs and educational campaigns to directly address environmental challenges. Our partners' expertise has enriched our understanding of environmental issues, while we've contributed our resources to enhance their impact. Together, we've amplified our voices in advocating for environmental policies and raising public awareness.

Since 2019, we've collaborated with 7 organizations to address pressing issues such as marine conservation, reforestation, and community development. Our partnerships with WWF Philippines, WWF Singapore, CCEF, Haribon Foundation, ARK Solves, and Hope for the Island have allowed us to make a tangible impact on communities and ecosystems in our region.

We view our partnerships as long-term commitments, aiming to build lasting relationships that deliver positive outcomes for generations to come. We recognize the dynamic nature of environmental challenges and remain committed to adapting our approach to address emerging needs and opportunities.

Change & Innovation with GU Energy

How has 1% for the Planet made an impact on your organization?

1% for the Planet is central to our family-owned business and integral to our identity. As we say at GU, we want to do well so we can do good in our communities. Through our membership, we've formed deep, meaningful partnerships with 17 environmental partners focused on protecting the places we play and advocating for access to the natural spaces we cherish.

These partnerships have enriched our internal culture, giving us opportunities to educate employees through “lunch & learns” and hands-on volunteering experiences. We believe everyone should have access to movement, nature, and wholesome nutrition, and our commitment to 1% for the Planet ensures that every GU product purchased contributes to preserving these vital environments for future generations.

GU exists to feed the need to move. If we can inspire even one more person to prioritize their health and move their bodies, we can help them see why this earth is worth saving. It’s not just about protection—it’s also about ensuring equitable access and inspiring action for a healthier, more sustainable world.

What milestone are you most proud of?

Community is at the heart of our work, and we’ve celebrated that in three meaningful ways. First, we proudly welcomed six new environmental partners into the 1% for the Planet network, all focused on creating access for historically underserved communities. Second, as sponsors of the Sessions series, we hosted one of six North American events, bringing together 1% for the Planet Members and Environmental Partners at our Berkeley headquarters on Ohlone Land. Lastly, we continue to foster a purpose-driven culture within our team and are deeply honored to be recognized by the broader community with this award. These milestones represent significant progress toward our goal of becoming the world’s most impactful purpose-driven sports nutrition brand, while supporting 1% for the Planet’s purpose to ensure our planet and future generations thrive.

Partnership with Zafrán

How has 1% for the Planet made an impact on your organization?

At zafrán, our purpose is to improve the world through nourishing food, inclusive job creation, and land regeneration. Thanks to our membership with 1% for the Planet, we’ve been able to strengthen this mission by supporting Germinar and Quinta Esencia—two organizations that are also schools, impacting not just the land but every person who participates in their courses and activities.

Germinar and Quinta Esencia focus on teaching sustainable ways to live in harmony with the Earth, promoting agroecological food production, renewable energy, and farming practices that regenerate the land. Their approach aligns perfectly with our own values of sustainability and inclusivity.

Through these partnerships, we’ve incorporated various sustainable practices into our factory, such as installing solar panels, rainwater collection systems for toilets and a solar water heater. Together with Germinar, we planted an agroforest using Ernst Götsch’s agroforestry principles. This method focuses on regenerating ecosystems by planting diverse species that work in synergy, creating conditions that restore soil fertility, increase biodiversity, and produce healthy food. Agroforestry mimics natural forest patterns, and over time, it helps repair degraded soils, capture carbon, and encourage greater ecosystem resilience.

Moreover, our collaboration with Germinar has extended beyond land regeneration. We’ve held joint activities with the Zafrán team and Germinar’s community, which has had a lasting impact on our staff. Many members of the Zafrán team now compost, have learned how to grow their own food, and feel more connected to nature. This connection between environmental awareness and our everyday operations is a direct result of these powerful partnerships.

By supporting these initiatives through 1% for the Planet, we’re not only contributing to the sustainability of our planet but also fostering personal growth and environmental responsibility within our own organization.

What milestone are you most proud of?

One of the milestones we are most proud of is the planting of our first agroforest in collaboration with Germinar. This initiative marked the celebration of Zafrán’s 10-year anniversary and our first year as a 1% for the Planet member. In September 2022, we dedicated our first donation to Germinar to establish an agroforestry project in Escobar, Buenos Aires. This project was designed as an educational, demonstrative, and productive agroforest to inspire local producers to embrace sustainable, life-respecting food production.

With the help of our team and the local community, we planted 600 plants, including native species, fruit trees, medicinal plants, and vegetables, across a 1.5-hectare plot. The agroforest uses a 7-line system of 30 meters each, modeled after the principles of Ernst Götsch’s regenerative agroforestry. The collective planting event, with more than 200 people, was a powerful symbol of our commitment to land regeneration and community collaboration.

Since that initial planting, we’ve continued to invest in and care for the agroforest. Every year, we hold a planting event to introduce improvements, such as adding 400 new plants in the second year to increase biomass and enrich the system. This space has become not only a productive project but also an educational hub, where more than 500 people have participated in workshops and activities aimed at spreading sustainable farming practices.

This milestone embodies the spirit of 1% for the Planet, as it reflects our ongoing commitment to regenerating ecosystems, engaging our team and community, and creating lasting, positive change.

Partnership with Germinar

How has 1% for the Planet made an impact on your organization?

Being a member of 1% for the Planet is a deep affirmation of our commitment to sustainable and regenerative practices. This allowed us to connect with like-minded organizations and companies, amplifying our collective impact on the environment and communities.

Winning the 1% for the Planet Summit Award for Partnership is a huge honor for us. It recognizes the work we've accomplished alongside Zafrán to innovate new ways of producing healthy and sustainable food in Argentina; a country with an agroindustrial model leading to deforestation, displacement of communities, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and negatively impacting people's health. 

In our educational, demonstrative, and productive Learning Center located in Escobar, Buenos Aires, in partnership with Zafrán we implemented an agroforestry project. This system combines trees, crops, and vegetation in a single space, replicating natural ecosystems and providing a range of remarkable benefits. This production model could make a difference for small and medium-scale family farmers in the Buenos Aires area, proposing a transformative change in how we interact with agriculture and the environment.

This prize symbolizes the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change and inspires us to continue expanding our impact.

What milestone are you most proud of?

We planted more than 2,000 native, medicinal and fruit plants in an area where small food producers are disappearing due to real estate expansion.

We create a 1000 m2 living example of how food production can not only coexist with nature but also help regenerate it.

We engaged and educated over 600 people, helping to shift farming practices toward a more regenerative model.

We create a very close bond of mutual support and trust with Zafrán, which allows us to transcend the economic link by participating together in events that inspire more companies and organizations to join together to enhance their positive impact.

Take Action

Learn about all Summit Award nominees and join the movement by becoming a 1% for the Planet member!

Special thanks to this year’s Global Summit Sponsors: Avocado Green Mattress, Booth & Partners, Nécessaire, Barrel Maker Printing by Liveprinting.com, Verdical Group, PALO, Naturepedic, Big Path Capital, Experience Momentum, Nomadix, HigherRing, OXO, North Six, Rabble Wine, 818 Spirits, Clove & Twine, Caitlyn Minimalist, Flickr, Innersense Organic Beauty, Promix Nutrition, Patagonia, B Lab USA & Canada, Spindrift and Friendsheep.

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