Petroleum Retailer Wins Big At 2026 Sustainability Champion Awards

Despite its core business revolving around the sale of fuel, petroleum retailer UNIPET won the 2026 Sustainability Champion Large Enterprise Award for its commitment to expanding the supply of clean energy.

The annual Sustainability Champions Awards, hosted by the European Business Chamber in Trinidad and Tobago (EUROCHAM TT) in partnership with the United Nations, was held on May 15 at the Carmel Valley Estate in Maraval. 

Nine companies spanning energy retail, logistics, food production, eco-tourism and services were recognised, not for profit alone but for how responsibly they operate.

Now in its fourth year, and firmly established on the corporate calendar, the Sustainability Champion Awards have become a platform for companies that take environmental impact, social responsibility, and ethical business practices seriously and embed them into how they operate. 

EUROCHAM TT Vice President Gonçalo Mendes put it simply during his opening remarks. 

“The most competitive, market leading organisations today are those that treat sustainability as a core factor of success.”

UNIPET dominated the Large Enterprise category with its commitment to installing solar photovoltaic systems and a free electric vehicle charging station at its Brentwood Service Station. The company is retrofitting its facilities with LED lighting and motion sensors, gradually transitioning its fleet from gasoline to electric and, in 2025, it partnered with the EU and UNDP to install solar panels, solar water heaters and electric vehicle chargers at community, environmental and educational centres nationwide. Its ‘Switch to Sunshine’ initiative with UNICOMER offers financing to help households and businesses adopt clean energy technologies. UNIPET is also planning to detail its company-wide efforts to advance conservation and energy efficiency in its first ever Sustainability Report, showcasing a level of environmental accountability still rare among Trinidad and Tobago companies.

Accepting the award, Chief Executive Officer Dexter Riley said, “Sustainability is no longer separate from business strategy. It is becoming how responsible businesses grow, innovate and create long term value.”

Renewable Power Caribbean Limited won the Small and Medium Enterprise award for the second year running. The company designs and installs solar systems and electric vehicle (EV) chargers that will avoid up to 900 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. 

Chief Customer Officer Steffy Heera described the award as “a validation of our commitment to the region’s sustainable development.”

Among the other nominees, ASCO Logistics has successfully cut carbon emissions by 68 percent since 2019. New Steam Laundry reduced emissions by 89 percent after switching from diesel to LPG, while also integrating hearing-impaired staff into its workforce. Handmade by Jeanette takes imperfect fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be discarded and transforms them into high-end food products. Milagros Solutions converts plastic waste into lumber. 3 Circles Energy develops tourism experiences that return most of the income directly to communities.

The gathering of like-minded private sector leaders, diplomats, entrepreneurs and sustainability advocates also recognised the business case for sustainability.

EU Ambassador Cécile Tassin said that under the European Green Deal and the Global Gateway Investment Agenda, climate neutrality is now a trade requirement, not just an environmental goal. “Companies that cannot demonstrate strong sustainability performance risk being locked out of major markets entirely,” she said.

Keynote speaker Jelmer de Winter, Country Manager for the geo data firm FUGRO, was even more candid. “There is no profitable business on a failing planet,” he said, warning that climate risk is already a business risk, affecting supply chains, costs and the ability to attract skilled workers.

UN Resident Coordinator ad interim, Miosotis Rivas Peña, said the honourees are embedding environmental and social considerations into core business decisions rather than treating them as an afterthought. “As more companies adopt similar approaches,” she said, “other investors, business partners and customers start to expect it too, and it helps set new best practices across the board.”

The event’s principal sponsor, PROMAN Trinidad, reinforced that outlook. Director of Marketing and Logistics Hanna Sukhu-Maharaj highlighted the company’s role in advancing methanol as a cleaner shipping fuel, helping position Trinidad and Tobago as a regional hub for more climate-friendly energy solutions. Other sponsors, including Angostura and The University of the West Indies, are similarly recognizing sustainability not simply as a responsibility, but as a source of long-term competitive advantage.

In a country whose economy remains closely tied to hydrocarbons, the idea of sustainable business can still seem like a luxury imported from elsewhere. The 2026 Sustainability Champions Awards make a powerful counterargument, showcasing Trinidad and Tobago companies that are already demonstrating how a different business landscape is emerging.

For businesses not yet on this path, the question is no longer whether they can afford to act, but whether they can afford not to.