HEALTHCARE FIRM Abbott Ireland is the overall business winner of the State's first green awards.
The company was honoured for its substantial reductions in energy use and its far-seeing waste management policies.
At the presentation ceremony last night, Environment Editor of The Irish TimesFrank McDonald was also presented with the Green Leader Award.
The citation praised Mr McDonald for his championing of the green agenda. He has campaigned against the destruction of Georgian Dublin as well as being one of the nation's most influential environmental commentators for nearly 30 years.
The awards, sponsored by Greenstar and the Irish Independent, were presented at a ceremony in the Burlington Hotel.
The remaining 16 winners of the Green Awards include some of the State's most prominent retailers, financial institutions and manufacturers as well as not-for-profit community groups, schools and green business start-ups in the energy and new technology sectors (see full list of winners below).
In a video message played at the ceremony, Minister for the Environment John Gormley, who was in Brussels, congratulated the winners.
Other winners included: Airtricity; Tesco (for its transport initiatives); Superquinn (green retailer); Wavebod Ltd (innovation); DW EcoCo Ltd (green organisation); Wicklow County Council; KPMG; Ballymun Regeneration; and Irish Life and Permanent.
