London,
30
January
2017
|
11:28
Europe/London

Sustainable City Awards 2017 now open for applications

The Sustainable City Awards, which recognise companies and organisations in London that demonstrate excellence in sustainable development, are now open for entries.

The Awards, run by the London Sustainability Exchange and funded by the City of London Corporation, is a national ‘green business’ awards scheme that rewards best practice in environmental management and sustainable leadership.

Established in 2001, the awards attract applications from SMEs and charities to multi-national banks and corporations. For the past 15 years, the Sustainable City Awards has led the way in terms of rewarding the most sustainable practices and business behaviours.

This year’s awards are looking to find the best examples of innovation and good practice, to build a smarter, healthier and more environmentally friendly city.

The six award categories include: Health and Wellbeing, Innovative Technology, Innovative Spaces, Sustainable Transport, The Farsight Award for investment analysis and the Sir Peter Parker Award for leadership.

Peter Lisley Assistant Town Clerk & Cultural Hub Director at the City of London Corporation, said:

“We welcome organisations which have gone the extra mile and demonstrated excellence in sustainable development to apply.

“These awards have been running for 15 years now and we continue to be amazed at the exceptional work that London’s organisations are doing to make the capital a healthier and more environmentally friendly city. Such hard work can easily go unnoticed and we are privileged to be able to recognise and reward their good practice.”

Samantha Heath, Chief Executive of London Sustainability Exchange added:

It’s only by dint of the hard work and imagination of our businesses, hospitals, schools and social enterprises that we will have a smarter, more liveable and healthier city. These awards celebrate these forward thinking organisations.”

Air quality campaigns and innovative design for buildings are examples of projects that have all been awarded by the scheme in recent years, with last year’s winners being environmental law firm CientEarth.

James Thornton, CEO of environmental lawyers ClientEarth, commented:

“Winning the overall Sustainable Cities Award last year was a real privilege for ClientEarth and our staff and was one of the highlights of our year. We were extremely honoured to be recognised for the work we do in seeking to create more sustainable cities and societies.

“Shortly prior to the awards taking place in 2016, my organisation had warned the government that we would take legal action over its flawed plans to tackle pollution and improve the quality of the air we breathe in the UK. We won that case in court at the end of last year and we hope that victory will help to improve the health and wellbeing of all cities and their citizens.

“Securing the backing of the judges and capturing the overall winners’ award sent a signal to those who still fail to see the need for urgent action. We and many other organisations work hard all year round to ensure that sustainability wins through in communities around the world and we wish this year’s nominees the best of luck now, and for the future. Let’s fight for a sustainable world together.”

The ceremony will be hosted by Siemens at its ground-breaking technology centre ‘The Crystal’, in Royal Victoria docks, in June. The awards are free to enter and no charge is made for attending the awards ceremony.

Applications for the 2017 Awards are open until the 31st of March. Organisations can apply at www.lsx.org.uk

 

ENDS

 

Media Enquiries

Kristina Drake

Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Kristina.Drake@cityoflondon.gov.uk

07710860884 / 020 7332 1125

 

Further information:

Categories include:

1. Health and Wellbeing – For best practice in promoting working environments and cultures which benefit the wellbeing of workers or citizens, e.g. Workspace designs and facilities, social and community initiatives, etc.

2. Innovative Technology – Application of new technology for smarter, more sustainable city life, e.g. Apps to inform behaviours, big data projects, etc.

3. Innovative spaces – Mitigating the effects of activities on climate change, or adapting operations to reflect the impact of climate change. Best practice to conserve resources in buildings and business, e.g. gas, water, green roof, sustainable drainage, etc.

4. Sustainable Transport – Innovative schemes encouraging sustainable forms of travel, reducing the impact of traffic and transport on the environment, or tackling air pollution, e.g. projects to encourage walking, cycling, public realm enhancement schemes, etc.

5. The Farsight Award - Integrating traditional financial analysis with longer term issues such as climate change, corporate governance and human capital.

6. Sir Peter Parker - To the organisation which best demonstrates leadership in sustainability. This organisation will be chosen from the winners and highly commended entries in each of the above categories.