For the partnership achieving outcomes no single organisation could have reached alone.
Some of the most important sustainable outcomes don't belong to any one organisation. They emerge when unlikely partners pool what they each bring - expertise, networks, resources, relationships - and work toward something bigger than any of them could deliver independently.
This award recognises collaborations that have produced meaningful environmental or social outcomes through genuine partnership. It celebrates the quality of the working relationship as much as the result: shared risk, mutual contribution and a willingness to operate outside familiar territory.
This is not an award for a lead organisation supporting others. It's an award for a partnership where each party's contribution matters and where the outcome is genuinely shared.
The following organisations are finalists in the 2026 Sustainable Business Awards. Alongside finalists in the other categories, they form this year's Next list – an annual list of who and what can make Aotearoa New Zealand a global beacon of sustainable business. Winners will be announced at the Awards night on 26 November 2026.
Businesses, councils and investors
deliberate use of commercial levers (purchasing, infrastructure, platforms, data) to drive environmental or social outcomes
measurable positive impact on suppliers, partners, or the wider market (not just internal improvement)
evidence of system-level intent: policies, relationships, or investments that shift what others do
outcomes proportionate to the organisation's scale and influence
