Excellence in Sustainability and Climate Action Award
How to enter
To enter the Excellence in Sustainability and Climate Action Award, select the business category size/turnover band which relates to your organisation and check the “ Sustainability and Climate Action” box on the Expression of Interest form which will enter you into the Sustainability and Climate Action category also. Please also complete the separate specialist category entry form for the judges to consider ( you can amend this copy to keep the language the same as you have it across other similar categories)
Awarded to the Northland business which best epitomises an overall commitment to environmental excellence.
About the award
This award recognises and celebrates businesses who demonstrate a strong sustainability focus and display a commitment to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and limiting their climate impact, ensuring a healthy environment for current and future generations. Businesses, of all sizes and across sectors, need to be taking proactive steps to help reduce their carbon footprint and become a sustainable and climate resilient business.
Who can enter this category?
All business categories are eligible to enter this award.
Businesses, of all sizes and across sectors, need to be taking proactive steps to help reduce their carbon footprint and become a sustainable and climate resilient business.
All completed entry forms will be considered for this award.
What are the judges looking for?
Tangible evidence of the initiatives your business has taken, or helped others to take, to embed sustainability and climate action across everyday operations.
The following criteria will be considered when assessing your application. Please provide details on those applicable to your business.
- Developing innovative solutions (such as new products or services), that have significant positive climate impact.
- Making smarter and more sustainable energy efficient choices e.g. green building design, installing LED lighting and purchasing high energy star appliances
- Active and continued involvement in community sustainability or climate initiatives e.g. planting days or rubbish clean-up
- Current or planned greenhouse gas emissions reduction initiatives, some examples include:
- Minimising waste
- Renewable energy generation e.g. installing solar panels.
- Adopting low emissions transport e.g. purchasing EV or hybrid company vehicles, encouraging ride share and active modes of transport
- Encouraging more sustainable or climate friendly practices in your supply chain (impact on others) including supporting local suppliers
- Demonstrating sustainable water management e.g. collecting and reusing rain water.
The judges welcome any additional evidence to support your application e.g. a sustainability strategy, waste minimisation strategy, emissions reduction plan and any monitoring, evaluation and reporting that is relevant.
Short-listed businesses will receive a site visit as part of the judging process.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about council’s own climate mahi get in touch with our climate action team or check out our strategy for tackling climate change.
- climateaction@nrc.govt.nz
- 0800 002 004
- Ngā Taumata o Te Moana
Useful links
The Sustainable Business Network has some great resources on how to start taking action on sustainability and climate change. https://sustainable.org.nz/take-action/
About the Northland Regional Council – Sponsor of the Excellence in Sustainability and Climate Action Award
Northland Regional Council works together with the community to create a healthy environment, a strong economy, and resilient communities. A key focus for council is resilient, adaptable communities in a changing climate. We want communities to be well prepared for the growing effects of climate change and the hazards our region faces such as droughts and floods – our business community is a key partner in this mahi. We also recognise that climate change may present opportunities for businesses in our region.
This isn’t a job for council alone – we need the entire community to come together to respond to an ever-changing world. This is why we, as an organisation are proud to support this award. We want to be part of a region wide collective of agencies, iwi/hapū and caring communities, working to address climate change to protect current and future generations.