Entries for 2024 are now open

Most sustainable organisation

Entrants for this category will demonstrate best practice for the benefit of the environment, their employees and the wider community. Entrants will show how they have addressed some or all of the following:

• Energy: Do you reduce energy consumption, maximise energy efficiency and/ or generate energy from renewable sources? (Note applications will be enhanced by figures showing the carbon footprint or energy consumption of the organisation or some of its aspects, and how measures have led to reductions, also any measures taken that help to influence the carbon emissions of others (customers / suppliers etc)
• Pollution: Do you take measures to minimise air, water, land, noise and/ or light pollution? (Note please differentiate between measures required by legislation and measures taken above and beyond that)
• Waste & resource management: Do you take measures to reduce excessive consumption of resources and reduce waste? (Note measures you may want to describe include the following: Re-use and/ or repair of materials or equipment; waste reduction through re-use and recycling (give percentages if available)
• Water: Do you take measures to reduce water consumption? (Note you may want to include water monitoring information, any arrangements for collection and re-use of water on site, and efforts made to encourage staff and/ or customers to reduce consumption (as appropriate)
• Transport: Do you take measures to minimise the transport impacts associated with your business & those of your staff & any visitors you may have? (Note include any information you may have regarding the following (as appropriate): Efforts taken to encourage staff walk, cycle, use public transport or car share in order to travel to work or for work journeys; Vehicle purchasing policy (e.g. company cars, vans & lorries) and alternative fuels; Efforts taken to reduce business miles or ‘dead’ (i.e. empty lorry) miles
• Purchasing and the local economy: Do you purchase in a sustainable way, e.g. buying locally to help the local economy, buying re-used and / or recycled products, buying products that have minimal energy or water consumption, buying from companies that have ethical or environmental policies, and/ or buying fair-trade products, etc?
• Buildings and land use: Are your buildings constructed in a sustainable manner and are they, and any land you have, managed sustainably? (Note include any information regarding construction and / or maintenance using materials with low environmental impact and appropriate measures to maximise natural habitat which protects, conserves and encourages biodiversity; also any measures regarding disabled access, as appropriate)
• Community participation: Do you support the local community in any way (e.g. do you make efforts to increase employment opportunities for local people through recruitment practices, are you involved in any local or community partnerships, or do you support any charities or wildlife projects, etc.)?
• Employment practices & governance (including equalities and diversity): Do you increase the skills & education of your workforce and raise staff awareness of sustainability issues? Do you offer or allow any arrangements for flexible working (e.g. for working parents of young children) or provide crèche facilities. Do you encourage healthy workplaces initiatives such as healthy food or active travel (walking & cycling)? (Note for organisation’s that are supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of staff, for example, encouraging staff to adopt active lifestyles and healthy eating)
• Environmental management: Do you have an environmental policy or policies? Are you working towards or have you achieved accreditation of a formal environmental management system? If ‘yes’, give details and date adopted. What would you identify as your businesses most significant environmental impacts? Have you any objectives and targets to address these impacts?

Trees for Nature and Growth

Criteria:

This category has two separate awards (with one winner and one runner up each). One award for farmer and landholder plantings and one for communities and groups. Projects would be celebrated as being the most innovative or impactful in their planting goals.

Award One: Farmers and Landholders

Entrants for this category must demonstrate one or more of the following, (with the proviso that new tree planting needs to have been carried out in the last year):

• New tree planting including projects such as orchards, hedgerows, in field trees, agroforestry and planting on all scales.
• Additional planting and improvement to existing woodland to include the restoration of natural habitats, natural regeneration, improving connectivity, biodiversity and wildlife benefits.
• Tree planting to protect and improve water courses to increase buffering, support flood prevention, increase amenity and wildlife benefit.

Evidence criteria (for assessment) to include one or more of the following:

• A project management plan to include the beneficial aims of the planting.
• Projected future benefits from developing or evolving production methods, including from diversification, restoration or nature recovery.
• Photographic evidence.
• Engagement with the local community (or public access) involved in the planting and long-term management of the trees.
• Evidence to show how the planting will be sustainable and transformative to the local area.

Please note: even if only one of these criteria is applicable for your project the scoring will be fairly weighted across all applications.

Award Two: Communities and Groups

Entrants for this category must demonstrate one or more of the following:

• New tree planting – this includes community or local group projects such as orchards, hedgerows, schools, and planting on all scales.
• Creation of a new tree nursery – and supporting local enterprise (either commercial or community based).
• Tree planting projects in urban areas – this includes street trees, parks and green open spaces.
• Additional planting and improvement to existing woodland to include the restoration of natural habitats, natural regeneration, improving connectivity, biodiversity and wildlife benefits.
• Tree planting to protect and improve water courses to increase buffering, support flood prevention, increase amenity and wildlife benefit.

Evidence criteria (for assessment) to include one or more of the following:

• A project management plan to include the beneficial aims of the planting.
• Photographic evidence.
• The number of volunteers engaged and/or community involved in the planting and long-term management of the trees.
• Benefiting local communities – which could include public access to trees, cleaner air, provision of shade and shelter, and the protection of cultural and landscape heritage.
• Evidence to show how the planting will be sustainable and transformative to the local area.

Please note: even if only one of these criteria is applicable for your project the scoring will be fairly weighted across all applications.

Circular economy

Entrants for this category will have demonstrated one or more of the following:

• Circular product design and innovation
• Repair, re-manufacturing, re-purposing or re-use of products
• Innovative business management models
• Efficient supply chain and/or cross-sector collaboration
• The re-use of material waste, heat or energy
• Impact reporting if available.

Environmental Growth

Applications will be compared in terms of space (amount of land), people (number of employees) and turnover. Entrants for this category will have demonstrated one or more of the following:

• Creation or restoration to wildlife habitat- e.g. orchards, ponds, wildflower meadows/verges, native hedges, street trees or woodlands
• Environmental improvements to buildings or ground e.g. installation of bee bricks, bug hotels, swift boxes, nest boxes, tree planting etc. If applicable, please show anything you are doing for biodiversity net gain, particularly going above the legal requirement of 10% BNG
• Sustainable land management such as agri-food, nature recovery, tree planting, water management and nature-based solutions to climate change such as flood alleviation.
• Schemes to reduce invasive species, litter, noise or light pollution in the environment (including coastal and marine areas)
• Initiatives to help people connect with their environment, encouraging them to grow nature and increase public understanding and enjoyment of wildlife- e.g. Forest schools, ecotourism, training programmes
• New environmental products and services

Note: Applications will be compared in terms of space (amount of land), people (number of employees) and turnover. Please include these details in your application.

See here for more information about Environmental Growth

Carbon Positive

Going beyond Carbon Neutral and Carbon Net Zero.

Entrants for this category will have demonstrated one or more of the following:

• Reducing carbon emissions from households, businesses or organisations
• Promoting sustainable choices and behaviour change Reducing emissions from transportation including people and goods
• Creating new opportunities for renewable energy
• Supporting climate resilient communities and spaces
• Promoting the removal of carbon from the atmosphere through nature-based solutions and particularly supporting localised schemes
• Going beyond carbon net zero and carbon neutral to becoming carbon positive

Please tell us in no more than 800 words, why you are entering this organisation for the Cornwall Sustainability Awards? What have they / you done, that justifies their consideration for an award?