This year, the awards will take place on the evening of Thursday, 7th November, at Platform in Glasgow, following the second day of BE-ST Fest.

BE-ST Fest is the UK’s biggest festival for a zero-carbon built environment and plays host to transformative discussion and knowledge exchange on how we can break through barriers to accelerate our journey to net zero and is delivered by BE-ST (Built Environment – Smarter Transformation).

The Accelerate to Zero Awards are free to enter and offer a platform to celebrate the progress, innovation and impact being made within the sector. Find out more here.

This year, BE-ST has assembled an exciting panel of 11 judges with expertise across the built environment, academic, and innovation sectors:

• Abigale Neate-Wilson - managing director, Agile City CIC
• Aisha Janki Akinola – CEO, Janki Robotics
• Caroline Gumble – CEO, Chartered Institute of Buildings
• Chris Stark – chief executive, Carbon Trust
• Emily Carr - design manager, KIER
• Josiah Lockhart – chief executive, Changeworks
• Peter Reekie, chief executive, Scottish Futures Trust
• Rachael Owens – co-director, National Retrofit Hub
• Prof. Robert Hairstans - CATT director, NMITE
• Shona Struthers – chief executive, Colleges Scotland
• Zarja Krevelj – architectural technologist, HLM Architects and BE Change Maker

Many of the awards categories from last year are back including the Accelerate to Zero Hero Award which recognises a standout individual or organisation making a remarkable contribution to decarbonising the built environment, but this year, the winner will be chosen by both the judging panel and by a public vote.

Several new categories have been introduced including the Community Champion Award which is for the individuals or organisations who have made a significant contribution to transformation on a local scale.