Young engineers rewarded for environmental leadership

The Natural Edge Project has won a Banksia Award for Environmental Leadership, Education and Training for a book entitled The Natural Advantage of Nations and an associated training program for engineers called the Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program.

Perhaps best known for its links with Rocky Mountains Institute director Hunter Lovins, the National Edge Project is a team of young engineers and scientists who are supported by Engineers Australia and a range of other Australian environment industry sponsors to undertake various environmental sustainability initiatives.

The Natural Advantage of Nations brings together the work of more than 30 international contributors and co-authors to show that economic growth and business competitiveness in the 21st century need not be in conflict with environmental and social sustainability.

The Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program is a training program that delivers the critical literacies engineers need to understand a range of emerging sustainability issues and solutions. The program is supported by Engineers Australia and the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). It harnesses the work of international experts in the fields of engineering for poverty eradication, radical resource productivity, green engineering and chemistry, whole system design and bio-mimicry.

The Banksia Awards, dubbed the most prestigious in Australia, recognise and reward individuals, community groups, businesses and government organisations for environmental excellence and innovation.

Other Banksia Award winners this year were Toyota Australia for continuous improvement of manufacturing processes and the Australian National University (ANU) and Origin Energy for the invention of Sliver cells, a breakthrough in solar technology.

For more information on The Natural Edge Project and the Banksia Awards see www.naturaledgeproject.net and www.banksiafdn.com