Recognized achievements or selection criteria may include:

• mobilizing activism, either in local community or virtually using one or many of a variety of activist tools
• setting challenging targets that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within one’s industry or in externally influencing industries and/or government
• encouraging energy efficiency and energy conservation
• promoting research and development of technology to reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions or to support adaptation to climate change
• significant hands-on community engagement
• replicability and scalability of innovative ideas
• fighting denial in some form that has garnered publicity
• Innovation and thought leadership in developing organizational strategies
• quality of engagement and partnerships with local organizations or other advocacy/non-advocacy collaborations
• activities that are better than business-as-usual
• creative outreach
• meaningful content
• encourage climate change and independent environmental impact monitoring
• successful completion of climate related projects crowdfunded or by awards
• led to civic involvement and discourse that works toward shaping behaviors in land use, air quality, transportation, or climate change concerns
• directly addressed criticism by deniers
• shows courage and integrity and strength in the face of harms to the environment