Aussie Finalists in Green Awards

Five Aussie organisations are finalists in the 'Green Oscars'. Photo: greenawards.com

Five Australian organisations have been announced as finalists for the prestigious International Green Awards which will be presented in London next week.

Known as the ‘Green Oscars’, Australian nominated finalists include Focus Press, City of Sydney, Sydney Theatre Company, Bentleigh Secondary College and Hitachi.

Sustainability Industry spokesperson in Australia, MOSS CEO Anne-Maree Huxley, said it was not long ago that Australia was considered in some circles to be 10 years behind in Sustainability Innovation and Governance.

“But after recently hosting the International Green Award’s ‘Business, Innovation and Sustainability Summits’ in Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to unveil and showcase Australian best practice and now having 5 Australian organisations as finalists, I think it’s fair to say we’ve caught up and in some sectors are clearly leading the way,” Huxley said.

“Probably the most significant benefit for all finalists in the International Green Awards is that what started out as a means to improve efficiency and reduce their environmental impact has resulted in significant savings. Sydney Printers Focus Press for example, have saved over $1m in energy, water, ink and paper in the last 10 years." 

Bentleigh Secondary College in Melbourne is nominated for the Most Sustainable Educational Institution. 

Head of Sustainability from Bentleigh Secondary College, Bill Thomas, said that the school has reduced its water usage by 91% within a year by implementing water saving devices wherever possible.

This year, the awards introduced a new entry format in the bid to find organisations that have embedded sustainability across their processes. Organisations were evaluated on sustainability vision, level of innovation and advocacy against 8 sustainability indicators ranging from energy and carbon, through to supply chain and resources. Categories included most sustainable small, medium and large businesses, NGO’s, Governments and Educational Institutions.

Other awards include the Lifetime Achievement Award (past winners have included Sir David Attenborough CBE and former Nobel Peace Prize Winner Professor Wangari Maathai), the Most Responsible Celebrity Award and the WWF ‘Green Game Changer’ Award recognising bold and innovative thinking to inspire others and push forward the urgent transition to a more sustainable future.

MOSS CEO Anne-Maree Huxley is one of two Australian judges for the international awards program.