Amazon’s Global Refugee Challenge wins Sustainability Award
Amazon's winning project was focused on tackling refugee crises around the world. The company has partnered with international charity Social Shifters to launch the Global Refugee Challenge, a programme aimed at empowering youth to develop sustainable solutions for the global refugee crisis.
The initiative, which ran in 2023/24, focuses on fostering grassroots innovation by providing a platform for young leaders to devise creative approaches to improve the lives of displaced people. Rea Ryan, who took the lead in this project, was delighted to win the award.
Rea is a Sustainability Practitioner who has just finished her apprenticeship in Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability with Amazon.
She says the award will "help me to go to the next level. As I’m looking for jobs it could be something that really helps me in the future.”
Amazon’s initiative engaged more than 500 young people across 48 countries, with 77% of participants coming from underrepresented or marginalised groups. It brought forward 354 startup projects and small businesses, many of which leverage cutting-edge technologies to address complex humanitarian issues.
Standout projects include Women Smiles Uganda, which designs vertical farming units to enhance food security for urban refugee women and youth, and Cure Bionics from Tunisia, which develops customisable 3D-printed prosthetics for refugee communities. Another notable venture, Equal Reach, has created a job-sourcing platform that has enabled a team in a major refugee camp to earn over US$100,000 through digital work opportunities.
The programme's unique digital format facilitated global participation and knowledge sharing, supported by more than 670 Amazon employee volunteers who served as virtual coaches and judges. This engagement has had a positive impact on Amazon's corporate culture, with 99% of volunteers reporting satisfaction and 97% expressing interest in future volunteering opportunities.
By investing in youth-driven innovation, the Global Refugee Challenge aims to create sustainable solutions rooted in local communities while building a pipeline of future leaders committed to refugee inclusion. The project exemplifies how businesses can play a crucial role in addressing urgent humanitarian issues through responsible, equitable practices, potentially inspiring wider industry action on sustainability challenges.
Steven Downes, Editor-in-Chief, Sustainability Magazine, said: “Amazon – and Rea Ryan in particular – show that ‘caring’ and ‘corporates’ go well together. The Global Refugee Challenge is particularly impressive for how it puts younger people’s views at the forefront.”
The awards
Launched in 2024, The Global Sustainability & ESG Awards 2024 debuted at Sustainability LIVE London on 10, September.
The comprehensive programme acknowledges companies, professionals and projects that have demonstrated exceptional performance, innovation and strategic thinking in a multitude of categories
The awards celebrate the best companies, professionals and projects in sustainability and ESG, and offer free entry for charities and NGOs.
“It was an honour to spotlight such a wide range of incredible companies at the inaugural Global Sustainability and ESG awards,” said Glen White, CEO of BizClik and Sustainability Magazine.
“At a time where it is crucial that companies are getting their sustainability strategy right, it is more important than ever to uplift and celebrate the frontrunners, the innovators and the pioneers who are developing innovative initiatives, projects and strategies that will have a positive impact on the planet for years to come.
“To host the awards during Sustainability LIVE London, where we’ve brought together thousands of the world’s brightest minds in sustainability, is an incredible moment for the sector to celebrate, we encourage many more companies to enter our Awards for 2025.
“Thanks to every company that entered - I say ‘just keep going on your journey’ and a big Congratulations to every company who was shortlisted, highly commended and of course to our 15 winners – we appreciate your input more than you know.”
The Project of the Year Award
Highlighting the most innovative projects resulting from sustainability commitments, the Project of the Year Award shortlist was:
- Melodea (One Package Solution of High Performance and Sustainability)
- HH Global (Sustainable Procurement Framework)
- Glasgow Chamber of Commerce (Step Up to Net Zero)
- Raízen (Reduza)
These projects highlight the possibilities of the direct approach, having measurable impact on environmental, social and economic sustainability and successfully engaging stakeholders. These projects inspire the industry to take further action.
Highly Commended: Melodea & HH Global
Melodea (One Package Solution of High Performance and Sustainability) and HH Global (Sustainable Procurement Framework) were awarded highly commended.
In a significant move towards sustainable packaging, Melodea Ltd. has developed innovative barrier coatings that promise to revolutionise the industry. The Israeli company's products, MelOx NGen and VBSeal, offer high-performance oxygen and water vapour barriers respectively, designed to replace non-recyclable materials such as EVOH, AlOx, and multi-layered plastics in flexible packaging.
Melodea's water-based coatings enable the production of fully recyclable paper and cardboard packaging without compromising on shelf life or product protection. These properties make the coatings suitable for a wide range of applications, from dry foods to cosmetics.
The technology has garnered attention from major consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, with successful implementations in packaging for nuts, chocolate bars, and pet food. Melodea's solutions are compatible with existing coating equipment, facilitating adoption by converters and paper manufacturers.
HH Global has introduced the Sustainable Procurement Framework (SPF), a tech-enabled programme aimed at elevating ESG standards across its supply chain. Launched in May 2022, the SPF has already onboarded over 1,000 suppliers across 55 countries, representing approximately US$1.65bn in global spend.
The SPF employs a three-step process: pre-populating supplier data, allowing suppliers to update their ESG information, and providing resources for improvement. HH Global reports that over a third of participating suppliers have progressed beyond the initial 'emerging' maturity stage, indicating early success in raising ESG standards.
Both initiatives demonstrate the packaging industry's commitment to sustainability, with Melodea addressing the environmental impact of materials and HH Global focusing on supply chain practices. These projects highlight the potential for innovation and collaboration in creating more sustainable packaging solutions.
The Global Sustainability & ESG Awards 2024
Thanks to our esteemed panel of industry leaders who judged the awards:
- Adam Elman, Google EMEA
- Angela Hultberg, Kearney
- Steve Smith, Schneider Electric
- Sophie Graham, IFS
- Courtney Holm, The Holm Edit
- Professor Paolo Taticchi. OMRI, UCL School of Management
- Márcia Balisciano, RELX
- Jane Goodland, LSEG
- Rahul Sareen, AWS
- Kevin Dunckley, HH Global
- Alice Spencer, CISL
The full list of awards categories and winners for 2024 is:
- Sustainability Strategy Award – Geopost
- ESG Programme Award – Liverpool FC
- Sustainable Finance Award – Scala Data Centers
- Diversity Award – Mitie
- Net Zero Award – Klarna
- Sustainable Supply Chain Award – UKL
- Sustainable Technology Award – DuPont Water Solutions
- Sustainable Consultancy Award – Forest Carbon
- Future Leader Award – Anastasia Le
- Executive of the Year Award – Preeti Srivastav
- Project of the Year Award – Amazon: The Amazon Global Refugee Challenge
- Lifetime of Achievement Award – Noel Anderson, Chief Sustainability Officer at American Red Cross
- AI in Sustainability Award – Ndustrial
- Social Enterprise Award – UKL
- Start-Up Award – EasyCep
Essential diary dates for 2024 and 2025…
Sustainability LIVE continues to expand its events with more to come in 2024 and 2025, discover our essential diary dates below.
2024 diary dates:
- Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC | 24 September 2024
- Sustainability LIVE Malta | 17 October 2024
- Sustainability LIVE: Diversity & Inclusion | 12 November 2024
- NEW | The CSO Network
- NEW | ClimateTech Digital
- NEW | Scope3 Magazine
2025 diary dates:
- Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero | 5-6 March 2025
- Sustainability LIVE Singapore | 18 March 2025
- Sustainability LIVE Dubai | 22 April 2025
- Sustainability LIVE Chicago | 4-5 June 2025
- Sustainability LIVE London | 9-10 September 2025
- Sustainability & ESG Awards | 10 September 2025
- Sustainability LIVE: DE&I | 11 November 2025
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