2013 Banksia Leading in Sustainability - Setting the Standard for Small to Medium Businesses Award Finalists

2013 Banksia Leading in Sustainability - Setting the Standard for Small to Medium Businesses Award recognises businesses with fewer than 200 employees demonstrating leadership through fully integrating sustainable principles and practices into operational activities, reducing the organisation’s footprint.

Five finalists have been announced for this year’s award, each said to exemplify leadership and innovation and be a catalyst for change in their specific areas.

The finalists are:

• A Passion for Sustainability, Energetics, NSW: As a consultancy advising Australia’s largest energy users and emitters of greenhouse gases on ways to reduce their climate change impact, Energetics is committed to practising what it preaches. The company’s business strategy involves growing its business, supporting its people, delivering results for its clients and demonstrating care for the environment.
• Australia’s Only Ethical Superannuation And Investment Fund, Australian Ethical, NSW: All money that is invested for Australian Ethical clients is invested ethically according to the company’s charter, avoiding sectors such as tobacco, alcohol, coal and CSG, weapons, or in companies that harm people, animals, the environment or society. The company has a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) rating of A+ and is a carbon neutral top-down ‘stage four’ organisation.
• Global GreenTag Product Certification System, Global GreenTag, Qld: This green product rating/certification program uses scientifically robust life cycle analysis (LCA) to comparatively rank the performance of eco and health-preferred products, with a focus on built environment and interiors products but with emerging standards covering personal, baby, cleaning, paper, packaging and clothing products. It provides graphical, easy-to-understand graduated marks and metrics that are suitable for everyone.
• The Ugly Duck Out, Tas: ‘TUDO’ is a family restaurant which caters for dietary requirements and for those that wish to support efforts to reduce their environmental footprint. The ‘ecotarian’ menu promotes the benefits of this style of dining, exploring the link between the food we eat and the environment. The restaurant aims to become a not-for-profit organisation that runs as a hybrid sustainable restaurant and educational facility.
• Winning Sustainability, the MCI Australia Way, MCI Australia, Vic: MCI Australia is a meeting and event management company offering 31 years’ experience and a track record of over 1000 major meetings and events, including conferences, corporate incentives and destination management. Sustainability is a business imperative for the company; a competitive advantage, an opportunity and a driver of innovation.

Winners will be announced on 9 October 2013 at the gala presentation held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The evening will feature the 2013 Banksia International Award winner Jochen Zeitz, director of Kering and chairman of the Kering board’s sustainable development, dubbed by the New York Times as “the fashion world’s energetic activist”.