WEX Global 2026 Award Categories

Category Descriptions

WEX Global Awards 2026

1. Innovation in Water and the Circular Economy

The circular economy begins and ends with water, a resource whose sustainable use, recovery, and regeneration underpins a thriving, low-carbon future. This award recognises projects, technologies, and organisations that are leading the way in creating water systems that transform waste into value and lead towards a sustainable water positive future.

Entries should demonstrate the imaginative and effective reuse of water, energy, and materials and may include how biosolids, organic residues, and process by-products are being converted into valuable resources such as bioenergy, fertilisers, and other raw materials. Examples may also include any advanced water reuse and recycling, nutrient and energy recovery, bio-product innovation, and circular design strategies that reduce dependency on virgin resources.

While the focus is on tangible circularity, submissions may also reference how digital tools, automation, and data intelligence support optimisation, traceability, and performance improvement.

The judges will seek visionary and scalable initiatives that demonstrate measurable environmental, social, and economic benefits — strengthening the link between circular water management, carbon reduction, and ecosystem regeneration.

2. Innovation in Decarbonisation and Climate Resilience

As the impacts of climate change intensify, the water sector plays a pivotal role in driving the global transition toward low-carbon, climate-resilient systems. This award celebrates projects, technologies, and organisations that are delivering measurable progress in decarbonisation, whilst contributing to the health and resilience of watersheds and ecosystems.

Entries should demonstrate how innovative strategies, including renewable energy integration, energy efficiency, circular resource management, and nature-based climate solutions are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate-adaptive water systems.

Projects that connect carbon reduction with improved watershed function, such as reforestation, wetland restoration, regenerative agriculture, or carbon-positive water treatment and reuse, are particularly encouraged.

The judges will also value examples that align with the twin transition of green and digital innovation, showcasing how data intelligence and AI are enabling smarter, lower-emission operations across utilities, industry, and agriculture.

Ultimately, this award recognises those leading the way in building a climate-positive water future, where decarbonisation goes hand-in-hand with ecosystem restoration, watershed health, and sustainable development.

3. Innovation in Digital Transformation of the Water Sector

Digital transformation is redefining how we manage water across municipal, industrial, utility, and agricultural systems, helping to build smarter, more sustainable cities and communities.

This award recognises excellence in digital innovation and AI-driven water management, celebrating the technologies and strategies that are enabling real-time decision-making, efficiency, and sustainability across the full water cycle.

Entries should highlight how digital tools, including artificial intelligence, data analytics, IoT, and digital twins are delivering measurable improvements in water stewardship, resource optimisation, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction, while supporting the “twin transition” of green and digital transformation.

Projects may span municipal networks, utilities, industrial operations, or agricultural systems, and should demonstrate how digital innovation is enhancing resilience, transparency, and the circular use of water.

The judges will look for initiatives that go beyond technology and show how digital transformation empowers communities, customers, and stakeholders, and contributes to decarbonisation, improved water quality, and a more water positive future.

4. Innovation in Watershed Restoration, Climate Resilience, and Water Positive Innovation

This award celebrates projects, technologies, and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to the restoration, resilience, and long-term sustainability of watershed ecosystems.

Entries should demonstrate tangible, measurable improvements in watershed health and functionality, including positive ecological, hydrological, biodiversity, and water quality outcomes. Projects that adopt a water positive approach, working to restore, replenish, and enhance local water systems and natural habitats are particularly encouraged.

Eligible initiatives may encompass innovations in science, technology, finance, renewable energy integration, or nature-based solutions, as well as public policy and best practice that promote the sustainable development of healthy, biodiverse watersheds.

Entries that highlight collaboration across industry and agriculture, such as water-efficient production, regenerative farming, circular resource management, and habitat restoration, are highly valued. The inclusion of climate change resilience, biodiversity protection, and adaptation measures, alongside effective stakeholder and community engagement, will further strengthen submissions.

Judges will also assess the adaptability, scalability, and transferability of innovations, recognising those with the potential to inspire broader regional or global impact in the development of resilient, biodiverse, and water positive watersheds.

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1. Innovation in Water Circularity

Sustainable water use is the foundation of a successful circular economy. This award will recognise outstanding contributions from the water sector, in the application of circular economy principles, across the entire spectrum of water and wastewater treatment. Examples include but are not restricted to, innovative water resource planning, process optimisation, water reuse, desalination, waste to value, pollution abatement, and AI initiatives which rationalise resources and promote efficiency.

Entrants should demonstrate innovative applications of existing or new processes, technologies, management and/or governance, which can include references to projects currently operating or at the research and development stage.

2. Innovation in Decarbonising

The sustainable management of water and wastewater is inextricably linked with energy and carbon emissions. This award serves to highlight ideas, applications and solutions that will bring about a significant contribution to realising a net zero future for the water industry – examples could include, although are not restricted to, waste to energy, digital technologies, new membranes or the generation of new energy resources such as hydrogen or biogas.

We want to hear about projects, processes, technologies and applications which demonstrate innovation in renewable energy, alternative energy sources, efficient energy use and new methods of production that will make a significant contribution to mitigating the impact of climate change.

Judges are looking for case-studies showing cost-centres turning into profit-centres, and those projects which unlock important energy potential, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and make water infrastructure efficient and resilient.

3. Innovation in Digitalised Water Management

The digital transformation of water management is at the heart of smart city initiatives which aim to deliver sustainable development for the benefit of citizens across the globe.

This award recognises best-in-class digital infrastructure projects and AI initiatives within the water industry, which demonstrate unique or outstanding features to establish the models and living systems needed for a thriving planet and ecosystem.

The winning entry will ideally demonstrate the “twin transition” of green and the digital in a manner which delivers de-carbonisation allied to optimal resource management, whilst also showing excellence in the innovative application of technology, social, economic and environmental design considerations.

4. Innovation in Financial Partnership

Without successful financing models, the technologies and projects which we need to bring about effective, systemic environmental change can’t happen. This award has been designed to encourage and promote partnerships between investors and practitioners which ensure that sufficient financing is mobilised to reach critical targets and objectives for the water sector.

Innovative financial thinking means that water infrastructure, industrial processes, digital transformation and the provision of safe water and sanitation is funded in a sustainable manner. The winning entry – could be (but is not restricted to) PPP, green bonds, BOOT schemes, performance-based contracting – will show strategic innovation, effective benchmarking and a sound environmental and financial basis which ensures that existing and future financial resources are commensurate with the investment needs of robust and sustainable water projects. Vision and new ideas will be sure to catch the judges’ attention in this category.

5. Innovation in Water Marketing  

Society and the water sector are going through a period of profound change and those that communicate to connect the dots – the marketeers – face a set of unique and complex challenges. We invite applications for this inaugural award which will focus on innovative approaches to creative branding, story-telling, customer engagement and sustainability with demonstrable impact both within the industry (B2B), as well as for the greater good of water in the public realm as a whole. Entries could be for new innovations, mature technological solutions or services and public and customer campaigns, and come from start-ups, mature companies, utilities, NGOs or media outlets.

Judges will be looking for initiatives and campaigns that can clearly demonstrate impact over the past 12 months. We will be specifically seeking organisations or campaigns that have seized challenges and created opportunities to change perceptions, and will evaluate entries based on the following criteria: Innovation, creativity and results. The judges will also consider the structure, presentation and clarity of each entry.

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