25 Years On, The Banksia Awards Innovates Again
Announcement posted by Banksia Foundation 16 May 2013
When the Banksia Awards first commenced in 1988, recognising environmental excellence was a unique concept. After 25 years it has become mainstream and Australia no longer sees environmental matters in isolation.
“Today, it is important to reflect the interdependency between environment, society and the economy and the resulting excellence that comes from meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” says Graz van Egmond Chief Executive Officer, Banksia Foundation. “So to mark its 25 Anniversary, the Banksia Awards (now known as the Banksia Sustainability Awards) has acknowledged this vital step forward and the Awards in 2013 will reflect a sustainability approach throughout the various category awards”.
To demonstrate this expansive area there will be 21 Awards in total. New awards added in 2013 to the portfolio are:
1. The Banksia CEO Award - recognising an individual executive's contribution towards the economic, social or environmental sustainability achievements of the organisation or company they work for and which has collateral benefits for the globe.
2. The Banksia Technical Awards including:
a) Waste Minimisation Soil Remediation & Improvement
b) Energy Efficiency and Carbon Management
c) Transportation
d) Climate Adaptation
3. The Banksia Business and Not-for-Profit Award – recognising leadership in implementing projects, strategies and initiatives that demonstrate capacity building, measurably enhancing the long-term social, economic and environmental state of the community and implementation of relevant solutions. This is seen through the full application of shared sustainability principles and practices throughout joint activities, demonstrating societal value add.
4. The Banksia Local Government - Sustainable Procurement Award
5. The Banksia Local Government - Sustainability Award
To cater for this array, the awards presentation program format needed to be changed. This has allowed for specific awards and areas to be spotlighted. The Banksia CEO Award will be presented at the inaugural Banksia CEO's Corroboree. A breakfast gathering of Non-Executive Directors, CEOs and Senior Bureaucrats designed to provide the opportunity to discuss where their respective sector will be under the sustainability umbrella in 10-15 years.
Providing an opportunity to focus on the technical aspects of sustainability, the Banksia Technical Awards will be presented at a lunch. The traditional Category Awards, the GPT Group Community Grant, the Banksia International Award and the Banksia Gold Award will be bestowed at the evening awards function.
The Banksia Foundation acknowledges that the Awards are not just for the recipients but should be made accessible to as many as possible to learn and be inspired by the amazing examples of excellence. To enable this accessibility, the Awards Presentation program will be associated with the Australian Sustainability Conference and Exhibition, in Melbourne (9 – 10 October 2013).
The Banksia Foundation is pleased to be working with Sustainability Business Australia (SBA) to reach Australian businesses and assist them in these challenging times.
Entries are now open for the 2013 Banksia Sustainability Awards, providing Australians a great opportunity to showcase our innovation and leadership in the various areas of sustainability.
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