Accolades and honours were conferred on a range of firms that have excelled at employing sustainable practices and promoting environmental awareness.

The 13 winners named at the Sustainable Business Awards ceremony held at Marina Bay Sands last night were singled out for their efforts in what is an increasingly important part of the corporate world.

The 40 initial entrants were judged on the sustainability of their business practices in benefitting, not only the firm itself, but also the environment and its stakeholders, today and into the future.

They were also assessed on their efforts to improve the well-being of their staff, those employed in their supply chains and people in their local communities.

Royal DSM, a life sciences and materials sciences company, emerged as the overall winner. It also won two awards under the supply chain management and climate change categories.

DSM executive vice-president Roelof Westerbeek said in a statement: "Business leaders, like DSM, have to take a larger responsibility to address the challenges of climate change.

"Disruptive technologies, disruptive business models, and the move towards full inclusion of environmental and social impacts into business decisions, will be imperative to leave a more sustainable world for the next generations. There are tremendous value creation opportunities for those companies who do this right."

Telco Singtel took top honours in the stakeholder engagement and materiality category, which looks at how well companies monitor stakeholder perceptions and how they deal with them.

Keppel Corp was awarded the strategy and sustainability management award. Ikea Singapore topped the workforce category that was assessed on the measures a firm takes to boost staff morale and skills.

Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific was highlighted for its innovative efforts in waste management and materials productivity.

The personal products giant Kimberly-Clark was praised for its efforts in water reduction and for investing significantly to support the water needs of the communities in which the firm operates.

Organised by Global Initiatives, this year's awards saw almost double the number of entrants this year over last year.

The assessment process for these national and multinational companies from a diverse range of sectors involved having to complete a comprehensive sustainability assessment form online, followed by interviews with global consulting firm PwC.

An expert advisory panel then reviewed the results of a questionnaire and interview process and decided on the winners.

Correction: In an earlier version of this story, it was stated that Keppel Land won the strategy and sustainability management award. The winner should be Keppel Corporation. The error was based on a press release.