This year marked the 11th anniversary of the Hellenic Responsible Business Awards, which recognise companies that promote the values of sustainable entrepreneurship and invest in sustainable environmental and social development. The awards ceremony took place on Tuesday 22 September 2026 at the Anais Club, under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, SEV-VIAN and SETE, and with broad institutional support. Opening remarks were delivered by Christos Staikouras, former Minister of Finance, Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business and Member of Parliament for the New Democracy party; Professor Giorgos Pagoulatos, Greek Ambassador to the OECD and Chair of the Selection Committee, and Litsa Panagiotopoulou, Honorary Doctor of the Agricultural University and Chair of the Committee on Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Greek-American Chamber of Commerce.

The Chair of the 39-member Awards Judging Panel, Mr George Pagoulatos, emphasised in his opening address that: ‘I would like to congratulate the companies that have received awards. Responsible entrepreneurship is not merely a matter of complying with regulatory provisions, nor is it simply a public relations tool. Corporate responsibility is, above all, an intelligent realisation that businesses are inextricably linked to society and the ecosystem around them, and a profitable investment with significant future returns.” Mr Christos Staikouras stated that: “Responsibility is not at odds with growth. It can and must be a prerequisite for sustainable, high-quality and inclusive growth. And this is an important message for the Greek economy.”

The winners of this year’s awards, as presented by the journalist Mr Petros Kouμπλής, stood out in the following award categories: ‘ESG Enterprise’, ‘ESG Strategy’, ‘Business Transformation & Sustainable Development’, ‘Excellence in Collaboration’, ‘Excellence in Education’, ‘Purpose’, ‘Equal Participation Powered by Diversity Charter Greece’, ‘Sustainable Technology & AI’, ‘NGO of the Year’, ‘CSR Team of the Year’, ‘ESG/CSR Consultancy’ and ‘Responsible Leadership’.

The evening’s top honour went to LIDL Hellas for being named CSR Corporate Brand of the Year.

The prizes awarded to the winners were made by the young volunteers at Anelixis.

The Hellenic Responsible Business Awards scheme has been running since 2015 and collaborates with four universities and more than 30 organisations and institutions that provide honorary support and sit on the evaluation committees. Over the years, more than 2,000 sustainable development projects have been assessed, whilst the methodology developed for drafting the reports serves as a tool for businesses to self-assess their performance in the field of sustainable development, gaining an in-depth understanding of the work they carry out and clearly evaluating its effectiveness.

The awards are organised by Boussias, with production and communications handled by Paturn Communication & Consulting. Visit the awards website at www.responsiblebusiness.gr to view the full list of winners, photos and the video from the Awards Ceremony.‍

Further information

The awards are held under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, SEV-VIAN and SETE.

The organisations supporting the awards are: GSEVEE – General Confederation of Greek Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants, EBETh – Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, EENE – Hellenic Entrepreneurs’ Association, HBA – Hellenic Bank Association, the Bodossaki Foundation, the Centre for European Constitutional Law – Themistoklis and Dimitris Tsatsos Foundation, the Athanasios K. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, SBE – Hellenic Federation of Industries, SEKASE – Hellenic Association of Compliance Professionals, SEKEE – Hellenic Association of Innovative Applications Enterprises, SESMA – Hellenic Association of Management Consultancy Firms, Alliance for Greece, CAPA – Corporate Affairs Professional Association, Endeavour Greece, Hellas Cert, Institute of Strategic Risk Management.

Research Associates: Laboratory of Bioeconomy, Circular Economy and Sustainable Development, University of Piraeus, and Diversity Charter Greece‍

Source: BOUSSIAS EVENTS