Spotlight awards /// salterbaxter /// Creative communications and sustainability advisors in London

Muhammad Yunus

Economist

Nominated by: Frank Henke, adidas Group

In the late 1970s, Muhammad Yunus pioneered the concept of microfinancing and founded the Grameen bank whose first loan for US$27, which came direct from Yunus’ pocket, enabled 42 women in a village in Bangladesh, to buy bamboo for their furniture enterprise. Since then the Grameen model has inspired similar initiatives around the world and helped create truly grass roots sustainable development. I have had the honour of meeting Muhammad in person and he is an inspiring leader. He has a very clear agenda and a remarkable ability to convince people to rethink mainstream approaches to doing business.

Marc Gunther

Journalist

Nominated by: Nathan Schock, POET

In an era where declining revenues for mainstream media has led to cutbacks in the number of reporters who cover the environment, Marc Gunther has shown that the internet provides the only forum a good journalist needs to succeed today. Trimmed from the ranks of Fortune Magazine’s full-time employment he remains a contributing editor but also writes for several well known green business blogs. He tackles issues of sustainability in a serious and thoughtful, yet accessible way and shows that we don’t necessarily have to fear the loss of the mainstream media watchdog. www.marcgunther.com

Katherine Bostick

WWF

Nominated by: Jørgen Christiansen, Marine Harvest

I would like to nominate WWF, represented by Katherine Bostick of WWF US , for their vital and wide-reaching efforts on sustainable seafood. Based on the success of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in securing a standard for sustainable wild fish, the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogues are, in 2010, finally resulting in certifiable, science-based, multi-stakeholder standards for sustainable salmon aquaculture (farming). The MSC and the upcoming Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) are among the most powerful and effective mechanisms ever launched for promoting sustainability in global food production.

These nominations highlight that the sustainability challenge requires innovation and leadership from many different types of people and places.

Georg Kell

United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)

Nominated by: Charlotte Wolff, ArcelorMittal

The UNGC has come a long way since its establishment ten years ago. It may have its critics but no one can deny that it has been extremely successful in engaging businesses across the globe in tackling sustainability issues. It is now the largest corporate citizenship and sustainability initiative in the world, with over 8,000 corporate participants from over 130 countries. Executive Director Georg Kell, who has been at the helm since 2000, has directed support towards the companies and regions that need it the most and in doing so has ensured the UNGC has become a genuinely global initiative.

Hugo Spowers

River Simple

Nominated by: Ramon Arratia, InterfaceFLOR

Hugo Spowers is developing an approach to car design that could revolutionise the auto industry. Last year his company River Simple launched its prototype design – a lightweight two-seater car, which runs on a hydrogen fuel cell and combines several high efficiency innovations. River Simple’s business model is to make the design available online to all potential developers so that it can be enhanced and the cars built locally. Around 50 cars will be in production by 2013. These will be leased to local customers, with a fuel and repair cost included, at a cost of around £200 a month. Gas supply company BOC will install hydrogen stations for the cars.

Mohamed Nasheed

President of the Maldives

Nominated by: salterbaxter

The Maldives cabinet members attended a meeting with a difference last October – they were wearing scuba diving gear and the meeting was held underwater. This is just one of the imaginative ways in which President Nasheed has highlighted the dangers that rising sea levels pose for his island nation. Since becoming President he has shown remarkable leadership, pledging to make the Maldives the first ever carbon-free country, running entirely on renewable energy sources within ten years. He has also brought attention to the plight of the vulnerable and the poor in the face of global warming and shown that all nations, regardless of size, can help prevent climate change.