Since 1987, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) has presented Governor's awards to organizations in Illinois that have demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through outstanding and innovative sustainability practices.

Sustainable technology encompasses any technique or technology that reduces the amount of and/or toxicity of pollutants that would have otherwise been released into the environment. Sustainability includes processes such as raw material and solvent substitution, preventive maintenance programs, beneficial reuse of by-products, waste reduction and recycling, and implementation of programs that support pollution prevention (e.g. ISO 14001).