Sustainable Business Australia and Banksia Foundation join forces

The Banksia Foundation and Sustainable Business Australia (SBA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will enable the two organisations to be united by a shared commitment to provide business leadership for sustainable development in Australia.

The MoU, signed by Banksia Foundation Executive Director Graz van Egmond and SBA CEO Andrew Petersen, recognises the common interests of each organisation in raising awareness, demonstrating excellence and promoting sustainability through leadership in business and industry.

Van Egmond said: “We believe very much in the critical role and power of leaders and partnerships for achieving business objectives and Banksia is delighted to be working with SBA in promoting this common purpose.

“The Banksia Awards are not only Australia’s most prestigious environmental sustainability awards but also the longest-running awards program of this kind. In the past 25 years there have been over 300 Banksia Award winners and the awardees have demonstrated that Australian business has the capacity and motivation to develop and deliver solutions for a sustainable future.

“This new relationship with Sustainable Business Australia will reinvigorate our mission to find pathways to forge business relationships with government, NGOs and civil society and, by doing so, to showcase and stimulate cutting-edge, world-class corporate practice in sustainability.”

Petersen said that the MoU with Banksia Foundation would help the mutual expansion of business, government and NGO networks while reinforcing SBA’s role to help businesses in Australia foster economic development in harmony with environmental preservation and social development.

“We are excited about this partnership with the Banksia Foundation, which has been acknowledged as encouraging leadership and excellence in the environmental sustainability area for 25 years through its delivery of the annual Banksia Awards,” Petersen said.

“The Banksia Awards have been a significant influence to inspire and recognise the ‘best in class’ in environmental sustainability and this relationship will explore how Australian business, large and small, as well as community and not-for-profit action are all positively impacting different sectors and bringing solutions to scale to make Australia and the world more sustainable.

“This relationship provides leading organisations with a platform for high-level discussions and initiatives to support their efforts to develop and share cutting-edge approaches, exchange ideas and find business partners to progress their sustainability objectives,” he said.

SBA will work with the Banksia Foundation on a program of activities in 2013, including a celebration of Banksia’s 25th anniversary and the 2013 Banksia Awards to be launched at the end of March.

The MoU is valid for two years and, under the agreement, Petersen will be joining the Banksia Foundation Board this month.