Local business achievements in environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic development were celebrated this past week during the 2024 Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) ceremony.
The event, held at the Annenberg Community Beach House, featured several business leaders accepting their awards in the sustainability categories. SQA winners were announced in April, with the partnership between the City of Santa Monica and environmental education nonprofit Sustainable Works honoring six businesses in all.
Sustainable Works Co-Executive Director Susy Borlido said that past and present winners have done everything from facility retrofits and purchasing changes to switches to energy-efficient equipment and taking advantage of available city green rebate programs.
"Our city, our residents and visitors [and] our business community are demonstrating the value of investing in sustainable practices," Borlido said.
The Grand Prize Winner for 2024 was clothing store Patagonia Santa Monica, while five other businesses took home recognition in separate categories. Since the first SQA ceremony in 1995, 173 local businesses have received over 230 awards for their environmental stewardship.
"These businesses are demonstrating a basic fact, and that is that best practices and environmental protection, economic viability and social equity are mutually dependent," said City of Santa Monica Chief Sustainability Officer Shannon Parry said. "We are inspired by their actions and even more so, we are grateful for their leadership."
Accepting an Excellence in Social Responsibility honor was Physical Therapyworks, while Angeles Investment Advisors and Yoga-urt accepted Excellence in Economic Development awards. Yoga-urt also received an honor in Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment.
Angeles was commended for having a B Corp Certification, a designation that a business is demonstrating a "high social and environmental performance" and something that was noted as "very uncommon" for the investment industry. The company’s Senior Managing Director, Sapna Shah, said that they always ask clients about their best sustainable practices, and seek to share best practices within the investment industry.
"We sought to be as mindful as possible in terms of how we engage in local community … [and] also with our clients … we care very much about their sustainability goals that they’re seeking to accomplish through their investments," Shah said.
Also receiving Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment were Avocado Green Mattress and HGA Architects. Avocado was also commended for B Corp Certification status and actions such as avoiding toxic flame retardants and using organic materials in their products. HGA Senior Sustainability Specialist Sierra Dennis stated that the architectural firm mobilizes an internal sustainability network to "shape a positive future through design."
"HGA is aligned with this award’s principles in our design work and our culture," Dennis said.
To learn more about the Sustainable Quality Awards and view past winners, visit the website here.
