Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Supporting sustainability through entrepreneurship
The City of London Corporation established the Sustainable City Awards in 2000, and this year's ceremony took place a couple of weeks ago.
Over the years the awards have become one of the UK's foremost business awards schemes that focus on the environment and sustainability, and they're now affectionately known as the 'Green Oscars.'
The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners became involved in the awards at their inception, as part of its mission to encourage and maintain high standards of practice and integrity.
The Company is the Livery sponsor of two categories: Social Entrepreneurship and Commercial Entrepreneurship. These awards specifically recognise social and commercial entrepreneurs who provide outstanding leadership while promoting innovation in environmental issues and sustainability across the UK.
The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners is one of 22 organisations that partner the awards, which are given across 12 categories, including the Sir Peter Parker Award. Between them, these categories represent the three pillars of sustainable development - the economy, society, and the environment.
Entries to each of the categories are judged by independent judging panels established by the organisations that support a particular category. Each of the judging panels is responsible for selecting a 'winner', a 'highly commended' and up to three 'runners-up' for their category. Those deemed the 'winner' and 'highly commended' of each category are passed onto the final judging panel, which comprises a number of experts under the non-voting chairmanship of the City of London's Head of Sustainable Development. This panel is responsible for choosing the winner of the overall award, the Sustainable City Trophy.
The winner of the Social Entrepreneurship award was Please Cycle, while Carbon Voyage won the Commercial Entrepreneurship award. The City Trophy was presented to Rosh Engineering, which also received a 'highly commended' award in the Commercial Entrepreneurship category.
Last year the Sustainable City Awards attracted more than 230 applications from wide spectrum of organisations that ranged from a bicycle repair shop, to a software application, to a zoo!
The annual awards ceremony takes place at Mansion House, the home of the Lord Mayor, who attends if his or her busy schedule permits. This year, the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Fiona Woolf CBE - a keen proponent of sustainability, presented the awards before leaving to host a visit from the President of Singapore. Dr Julie Maxton, Executive Director of the globally influential Royal Society, gave the keynote speech.
Information about the 2013-14 award winners can be found at www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
The WCEC is one of 110 Livery Companies which are based upon trades, industries and professions and carry on the ancient traditions of the Guilds and Livery Companies which started in the 12th Century. Formed in 1972 as the Guild of Cleaners and subsequently known as the Guild of Master Cleaners, the Company was granted full Livery Status in 1986 as the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, the 97th Livery Company of the City of London. HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, is an Honorary Freeman of the Company.
The Company aims to encourage and maintain high standards of practice and integrity while promoting and supporting education, training and research projects within the cleaning industry. One fine example of its efforts to raise the industry can be seen in its achievement of a Royal Charter in 2010.
T: 0207 7041515
E: [email protected]
W: www.wc-ec.com
17th April 2014