GreenLife Awards

The Athens Office of Sustainability is proud to present three awards for Sustainable Stewardship for Business, Individual, and Community Group. Each year, we invite people from the Athens area to nominate those who are going above and beyond to incorporate sustainability into their day-to-day and into the community. Nominations for 2021 will be opened in the late Fall of 2020, and the awards will be presented in the Spring of 2021 at the Green Life Expo.

Sustainable Business of the Year 

Businesses have a role as social leaders and help to create a community in which people want to live and work.  The Athens-Clarke County Sustainable Business of the Year award is designed to recognize businesses that have taken the lead in embracing environmental stewardship and equity as an integral part of their business model in order to preserve a clean, healthy, and thriving local environment.

Examples of sustainable practices for local businesses may be: 

  • Businesses focused on using locally sourced materials
  • Businesses who have made efforts to reduce inorganic waste or move towards a zero-waste model
  • Businesses who consistently engage in energy-saving practices, or who have invested in on-site renewable energy
  • Businesses focused on using locally sourced materials
  • Businesses who have made efforts to reduce inorganic waste or move towards a zero-waste model
  • Businesses who consistently engage in energy-saving practices, or who have invested in on-site renewable energy
  • Businesses that enhance the overall health of the outdoor ecosystem, including for example:
    • eliminating the use of non-native invasive plants and incorporate native plants, habitat, wildlife homes, and/or nesting/roosting boxes into their landscape
    • reducing impervious surfaces, promote on-site biological treatment of stormwater (ex: rain garden), or other innovative way to reduce stormwater runoff.
    • installing exterior lighting that meets the International Dark Sky standards
  • Any business that has pursued innovative practices in order to engage with environmental sustainability
  • Businesses that demonstrate full diversity and inclusion to fairly reflect their community.
  • Businesses that pay a fair living wage (define) to their employees and contractors.
These examples serve as a baseline of ideas that a business could have worked on during the year. If you feel that their nomination does not quite fit these ideas, but still falls within the realms of sustainability, do not hesitate to submit your nomination anyways.
If you would like to submit a nomination for a business for 2021, you can fill out and submit a Google Form here

Sustainable Individual of the Year

Individuals make a difference when they engage in actions to promote sustainable practices within Athens-Clarke County neighborhoods and public institutions. The Athens-Clarke County Sustainability Stewards of the Year award recognizes individuals who have taken initiative to engage in promoting sustainable practices in their neighborhoods, workplaces, or community institutions.  

 Examples of actions that individuals may take:

  • Engaging with neighbors to work towards common sustainability goals
  • Promoting sustainable practices through community organizing 
  • Creating community gardens, promoting high quality urban forest
  • Removing invasive plants and restoring re-vitalizing green-space using native plants
  • Cleaning up C, or cleaning up rivers, streams, forests, and other local ecosystems
  • Identifying needs or raising awareness within the community related to sustainability
These examples serve as a baseline of ideas that an individual could have worked on during the year. If you feel that their nomination does not quite fit these ideas, but still falls within the realms of sustainability, do not hesitate to submit your nomination anyways.
If you would like to submit a nomination for a group or individual for 2021, you can fill out and submit a Google Form here


Sustainable Community Group of the Year


When a group of individuals come together under a common goal, it can result in an overall change that benefits and helps the entire community. The Athens-Clarke County Sustainability Community Group of the Year award recognizes the work groups have done to promote sustainable practices in their neighborhoods, workplaces, or community institutions.  

 Examples of actions that groups, not unlike individuals, may take:

  • Engaging with neighbors to work towards common sustainability goal
  • Promoting sustainable practices through community organizing 
  • Creating community gardens, promoting high quality urban forest
  • Removing invasive plants and restoring re-vitalizing green-space using native plants
  • Cleaning up C, or cleaning up rivers, streams, forests, and other local ecosystems
  • Identifying needs or raising awareness within the community related to sustainability

These examples serve as a baseline of ideas that a group could have worked on during the year. If you feel that their nomination does not quite fit these ideas, but still falls within the realms of sustainability, do not hesitate to submit your nomination anyways. If you would like to submit a nomination for a group or individual for 2021, you can fill out and submit a Google Form here.