Green Awards 2026 opens entries with new Green Day programme
The Drinks Business Green Awards 2026 has opened for entries ahead of a new one-day sustainability forum and awards ceremony in November. The programme will include panel discussions, tastings and a new award recognising the role of co-operative wine producers.
Entries have opened for The Drinks Business Green Awards 2026, with submissions accepted until 18 September.
The awards will return in November on a date to be confirmed, bringing together the drinks trade to recognise environmental and ethical progress across wine, spirits, beer and the wider supply chain.
This year, the ceremony will form the conclusion of a new daytime programme called Green Day, designed to examine practical sustainability challenges facing the sector.
New co-operative award introduced
A new category, Best Co-operative Wine Producer of the Year, has been added to the 2026 awards.
According to the category criteria, the award will recognise a co-operative wine producer that has demonstrated excellence through the strength of its collaborative model.
Judges will assess wine quality, innovation and sustainable production, alongside the support provided to grower members and local communities.
Entrants will also be expected to show how collective ownership has delivered measurable benefits for members and improved long term business performance. Particular attention will be paid to achievements during the past 12 months and evidence of leadership in advancing the co-operative model across the global wine industry.
Green Day to examine the practical questions
Green Day will feature a series of panel discussions focused on the realities of implementing sustainability programmes.
One session will explore biodiversity, asking how estates are reversing soil and habitat loss and whether greater biodiversity can affect the taste of wine.
A second discussion will examine sustainability certification and reporting, including the financial and administrative burden of environmental labels and whether such schemes influence consumer purchasing.
Co-operatives and technology will also feature, with a panel considering how collaborative structures can give smaller growers access to tools such as vineyard drones and digital management systems.
A further session will look at Fairtrade and ethical labour practices across international drinks production.
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Tasting programme expands
Alongside the discussions, Green Day will include a walk-around tasting for producers, importers and regional bodies.
A dedicated tasting zone will feature the highest-scoring wines from the Global Green Masters series, together with certified sustainable wines and bottles produced by co-operatives.
The programme will also provide space for a dedicated presentation or masterclass.
Participating producers will receive supporting online coverage, including published tasting commentary and promotion through social media.
Awards build on 2025 winners
The 2026 event follows last year’s Green Awards, which marked the 16th edition of the competition.
As reported by the drinks business, the 2025 winners included Sogrape for Best Logistics and Supply Chain Green Initiative, Domaine Bousquet for Green Company of the Year and The Wine Society for Green Retailer of the Year.
Concha y Toro received the Amorim Sustainability Award for a Producer, while Porto Protocol won the corresponding award for an organisation.
Stephen Cronk of Maison Mirabeau was named Green Personality of the Year and Tony Cleary MBE received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to renewable energy, low-carbon packaging and bulk shipping within the UK wine trade.
Sustainability as commercial strategy
The awards arrive as drinks companies increasingly connect environmental improvement with stronger commercial performance.
Last year’s winners demonstrated how sustainability programmes can reduce water and energy use, improve soil health and cut packaging weight. Several also showed that environmental progress can provide a clearer brand story for consumers and trade buyers.
Green Day will extend that conversation beyond the ceremony, giving producers and suppliers a forum in which to discuss the cost, credibility and practical value of environmental action.
The Drinks Business Green Awards 2026 is now open for entries, with the deadline set for 18 September.
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