Get voting online for your favourite sustainable business

New Zealand’s Sustainable Business Network (SBN) is urging everyone to vote for their favourite sustainability initiative to choose this year’s Vodafone People’s Choice Award winner in the NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards. The five finalists are Stone Arrow Jewellery, Sharp Tudhope Lawyers, Kaimira Estate Wines, Raw Essentials and Kokako.

“Each category winner in our recent regional awards has made a short video about themselves and their sustainability initiatives. From these, the award sponsor Vodafone selected five finalists, based on which businesses were implementing interesting sustainability practices over and above their competitors. It’s now up to everyone to vote online for their favourite,” said SBN Chief Executive Rachel Brown.

In the SBN’s 2012 regional awards, Stone Arrow Jewellery from Golden Bay won the Central and Southern Award for Small Business (Emerging); Sharp Tudhope Lawyers from Tauranga won the Bay of Plenty Medium Business (Trailblazer) Award; Kaimira Estate Wines from Nelson took out both the Central and Southern Small Business (Trailblazer) and Supreme Winner Awards; Raw Essentials from Auckland won the Northern Award for Small Business (Emerging); and Kokako from Auckland won the Northern Small Business (Trailblazer) Award.

The winner of the Vodafone People’s Choice Award will be announced along with the winners of other national awards at the NZI National SBN Awards night at The Cloud, Queens Wharf, Auckland on 22 November.

The awards, which are now in their ninth year, are the pre-eminent sustainability awards in New Zealand. They recognise leaders in social innovation and businesses that are championing sustainability and new sustainable market solutions. The awards celebrate savvy organisations that are reshaping their business models for a more sustainable New Zealand.

The finalists of the Vodafone People’s Choice Award were announced last night at the SBN’s 10th anniversary party.

“What better way to mark this milestone than to launch the Vodafone People’s Choice Award and encourage everyone to get online and be inspired by this year’s outstanding sustainable businesses?” said Brown.

“Vote for your favourite and be a part of the explosion of social enterprise and innovation taking place right now all around New Zealand.”

To vote, go to www.sustainableawards.org.nz.