Five Australian organisations recognised as global leaders in sustainability

Five Australian organisations have been announced as finalists in the prestigious International Green Awards, which will be presented in London on 20 November.

The ‘Green Oscars’, as they are affectionately known, play a crucial role in promoting the principles of environmental responsibility and stewardship to a global audience with recipients recognised as beacons of innovation and leadership paving the way for a more sustainable future. Australian nominated finalists include Focus Press, City of Sydney, Sydney Theatre Company, Bentleigh Secondary College and Hitachi.

The CEO of MOSS (Models of Success and Sustainability), 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 Awards’ Business, Innovation and Sustainability Summits in Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to unveil and showcase Australian best practice and now having five Australian organisations as finalists, I think it’s fair to say we’ve caught up and in some sectors are clearly leading the way.”

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 printer Focus Press, for example, has saved over $1 million in energy, water, ink and paper in the last 10 years.

“For Focus, the journey began humbly with assistance from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to kickstart our clean manufacturing initiative. This soon developed into a culture that sees sustainable practices as the way we do things around here with many innovative staff members helping to reduce our footprint,” said Alan Davis, CEO. “We are now continuing along a journey of continuous improvement that involves our business ecosystem as we enter a carbon restrained economy.”

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 eight sustainability indicators, ranging from energy and carbon through to supply chain and resources. Categories included most sustainable small, medium and large businesses, NGOs, 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.