Announcing illuminem’s first Sustainability Book of the Year Award

🏆📖 See the results of Sustainability Book of the Year 2026

The ideas that move us matter.

Each year, a handful of books (see here our favorite book reviews) don't just sit on shelves; they reshape how we think, decide, and act on the defining challenge of our time: the sustainability transition.

In a time marked by record temperatures, shifting supply chains, and changing regulations, illuminem, as one of the most-read sustainability platforms with 700,000+ users, is curating the 1st Sustainability Book of the Year Award.

The award celebrates thought leaders in sustainability while serving as a disciplined reading list for leaders, practitioners, and thinkers seeking the ideas that truly influenced climate, nature, economics, governance, and systems change — and will continue to shape the years ahead.

In this article, we explain all the rules of illuminem’s 1st Sustainability Book of the Year Award.

Who can nominate, and how

Everyone. Both third-party nominations and author self-nominations are encouraged.

To nominate a book, simply fill out the short form here:
👉 (nomination closed)

You are asked to share (the process takes under 2 minutes):

• Book title and author
• Your rationale for inclusion

All nominated books are displayed on illuminem’s page dedicated to Sustainability Books of the Year Award Nominees, and on the illuminem book review page. Books with the highest number of nominations, as well as books selected by our Editorial Board, are shortlisted for the popular vote*.

How the winner is decided

Everyone is invited to vote across all categories of the Sustainability Book of the Year (see below).

Voting opens on Friday 27th of March, and takes place through our social media channels and a dedicated form reserved for illuminem community members (regularly subscribed to our Club) on our website.

The voting components are counted as follows:

• 50% LinkedIn open vote
• 50% illuminem Club voting form

If you are not yet a member of our community Club, please subscribe (for less than €1 per day) to vote via the dedicated form and benefit from all our illuminem services.

We invite our audience to consider:

• Intellectual rigour – Relevance to contemporary sustainability challenges
• Originality – Fresh perspectives and depth of insight
• Practical value – Strategic applicability for decision-makers
• Quality – Strength of evidence, reasoning, and narrative
• Impact – Demonstrated engagement and resonance within the field

Our focus is not on popularity, but on lasting contribution to sustainability discourse.

The winners, one per Category, is featured on our homepage cover and receive a special printed recognition edition from illuminem.

Categories of the Award

The Sustainability Book of the Year is awarded to one winner in each of these categories:

• Sustainability Book of the Year Award in Original Language
• Sustainability Book of the Year Award in English

Eligibility: books published in the year preceding the Award.

Benefits for all nominated books

All nominated books are displayed on illuminem’s page dedicated to Sustainability Books of the Year Award Nominees, and on the illuminem book review page. 

We ensure that all ideas put forward are fairly represented and accessible to our global readership of 700,000+. 

Each nominated author is also given a dedicated author page on illuminem, providing lasting visibility for their work and thought leadership.

At a time when attention is scarce and complexity often simplified, our mission is to elevate substance, reward intellectual contribution, and create a space where serious ideas on sustainability can be engaged with on their merits.