Belém, Brazil – November 15, 2025
The 2025 Net-Zero Industries Award winners and finalists were officially unveiled on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. The award ceremony, hosted at the UK Pavilion, celebrated the extraordinary achievements of individuals and projects driving innovation in industrial decarbonisation.
The UK’s support for the Net-Zero Industries Award this year was pivotal, underscoring the crucial role of international collaboration in accelerating industrial decarbonisation. It highlighted the importance of global partnerships in advancing the transition to a net-zero future and showcased the UK’s leadership in driving sustainable industrial transformation.
The ceremony was livestreamed, allowing a global audience to join in celebrating groundbreaking work across sectors such as iron and steel, cement and lime, chemicals and refining, and other energy-intensive industries.
Celebrating Global Innovation in Industrial Decarbonisation
The 2025 Net-Zero Industries Award recognised outstanding contributions in three main categories:
Young Talents:
– Main Winner: Saravanan Janakiram, Chief Technology Officer, Aqualung Carbon Capture, Norway.
– First Runner Up: Ming Jiang Gan, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of New South Wales, Australia.
– Second Runner Up: Natanael Otavio Favero Bolson, MTC Manufacturing Futures Fellow, University of Birmingham, UK.
Female Innovators:
– Main Winner: Christine Gabardo, Co-Founder & CTO, Cert Systems Inc., Canada.
– First Runner Up: Christine Gröll, Germany.
– Second Runner Up: Maria Juenger, President, American Concrete Institute & Professor, University of Texas, USA.
Outstanding Projects:
– Main Winner: Helios Cycle – A novel method for iron ore reduction with zero direct emissions and optimized resource utilization, Helios Project Ltd., Israel.
– First Runner Up: Flue2Chem, Unilever, SCI, BASF, Croda, JM, P&G, Reckitt, CCUI, CCSL, Tata Steel, Confederation of Paper Industries, Holmen, UPM, CPI, LanzaTech, University of Surrey, University of Sheffield, UK.
– Second Runner Up: Automized Manufacturing of Next Generation Pressurized Alkaline Electrolyser, Nel Hydrogen, Norway.
– Special Prize for Electrification: Polar Night Energy’s Sand Battery, recognising exceptional innovation in industrial electrification, advancing renewable energy solutions in industrial processes, Finnland.
A Platform for Global Recognition
This year’s award ceremony celebrated 83 submissions from 22 countries across the globe, showcasing the widespread commitment to tackling industrial emissions. The finalists and winners were selected by an independent international jury, who evaluated submissions based on breakthrough innovation, impact, and scientific excellence.
Looking Ahead: A Net-Zero Future for Heavy Industry
The Net-Zero Industries Award serves as a key milestone in the ongoing efforts to decarbonise heavy industry and accelerate the transition to a sustainable, net-zero future. The winners and finalists will continue to inspire innovation and collaboration, playing a crucial role in reducing industrial carbon emissions worldwide.
As a next step, the main winners will be honoured at a live event in spring 2026, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their groundbreaking projects to a global audience of industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators, on a real stage.
Watch the video of the winners on YouTube.
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