The Political Purpose Awards are the leading UK awards recognising politicians, local authorities and campaigners who put nature, wildlife and the environment at the heart of public life. Run by Higginson Strategy’s in-house environmental campaign, Nature 2030, they were held in Parliament for the fourth time on 8 September 2026.
We were delighted to announce this year’s winners across ten categories at a ceremony hosted by Ruth Jones MP. Winners included MPs, Peers and politicians from Wales and Northern Ireland, and, for the first time, grassroots campaigners.
2026 saw three new awards: the Companion Animal Care, the Planning for Nature Recovery and Campaigner of the Year, recognising grassroots activists alongside MPs and policymakers for the first time.
This year’s winners were selected by an esteemed panel of campaigners, NGO leaders and business representatives who are deeply involved in environmental causes, with the final decision taken by the Nature 2030 judging panel.
This year’s winners are:
Wildlife Crime Prevention Award, sponsored by League Against Cruel Sports
Winner: Jim Dickson MP
Rivers & Seas Award, sponsored by River Action UK
Winner: Charlie Maynard MP
Animal Welfare Award, sponsored by FOUR PAWS UK
Winner: Jane Dodds MS
Highly commended: Adrian Ramsay MP
Green Council of the Year Award, sponsored by Keep Britain Tidy
Winner: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Highly commended: Hull City Council
Planning for Nature Recovery Award, sponsored by London Wildlife Trust
Winner: London Borough of Sutton
Pollution, Waste & Air Award, sponsored by Pet Impact
Winner: Andrew Muir MLA
Companion Animal Care Award, sponsored by Animal Friends
Winner: Sarah Owen MP
Highly commended: Danny Chambers MP
Campaigner of the Year Award, sponsored by Peter Hall
Winner: Hannah Bourne-Taylor, author and founder of The Feather Speech
Highly commended: Zofia Page, co-founder of Friends of the River Medway
Nature & Biodiversity Award, sponsored by Bright Tide
Winner: Lisa Boulton, Ocean Regeneration Lead, Nestlé Purina PetCare
Highly commended: Fenella Chambers, Head of HL BaSE, Hogan Lovells
Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Greenpeace UK
Winner: Lord Whitehead
Nature 2030 would like to thank our headline sponsors, Animal Friends Insurance and philanthropist Peter Hall, as well as our individual award sponsors: League Against Cruel Sports, River Action UK, FOUR PAWS UK, Keep Britain Tidy, London Wildlife Trust, Pet Impact, Bright Tide and Greenpeace UK.
John Higginson, Founder and Chief Executive of Higginson Strategy, said: “We are so proud that the awards, now in the fourth year, have grown from strength to strength and are now recognising grassroots campaigners, alongside MPs and policymakers, for the first time.”
Photographs from the evening are free to save and share, and can be found here.
Further information about the Political Purpose Awards can be found here.