UNIDO Announces Winners of Inaugural One World Sustainability Awards in Riyadh

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — UNIDO has announced the winners of the inaugural ONE World Sustainability Awards at the twenty-first session of the UNIDO General Conference (GC21) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, celebrating innovators whose work advances sustainable, inclusive industrial development across the globe.

H.E. Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Industrial Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Eng. Khalil bin Ibrahim bin Salamah, emphasized the transformative power of the awards: “These awards send a clear message to the world. They show that profitability and positive impact can thrive side by side and that sustainability is no longer a choice but a powerful economic drive.”

UNIDO Director General highlighted in his opening speech that: “This is the beginning of a movement where sustainability is not an option but a standard. The winners show us that innovation, responsibility and success can go hand in hand. The choices we make today – how we produce and how we consume – impact our societies today and tomorrow. Together we can shape a future that is fair, sustainable, and full of opportunities for all.”

Launched as part of the Global Industry Summit 2025, the awards honor individuals and organizations across four categories: Innovative Startups, Sustainable Supply Chains, Women in Industry, and Lifetime Achievement.

Nature Bio Foods, represented by Amit Singh, received the Sustainable Supply Chains Award. The India-based company works with more than 96,000 smallholder farmers across India, Africa, and Europe, pioneering climate-resilient, carbon-neutral agriculture models.

The Women in Industry Award was presented to Norah Magero, CEO of Drop Access Limited in Kenya, recognized for advancing solar-powered cold-chain innovation that supports vaccine distribution and food systems across Africa.

WeLight Africa, led by Romain De Villeneuve, won the Innovative Start-ups Award for accelerating rural electrification through sustainable mini-grid solutions in Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway received the Lifetime Achievement Award as the country’s first female Prime Minister and former WHO Director-General.

“The scale of UNIDO here in Riyadh inspires us to advance our cold-chain innovations and deepen Drop Access’s impact for the communities that need them most,” said Norah Magero.

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