Categories

WASTE / WATER

Sponsored by The Environment Protection Agency

• Best Example of Waste Prevention in a Product / Service
• Best Example of Water Conservation in a Product / Service

Entrants for this category will need to demonstrate how they have made significant steps towards waste prevention or water conservation in their operations or in producing products. The award will recognise companies of any size who have responded to the growing need to manage the earth’s natural resources more prudently and through their activities have reduced their carbon footprint. To qualify for this award it will be necessary to provide quantifiable achievements in reducing waste production and/or water consumption for at least one year.

ENERGY

Sponsored by Sustainable Energy Ireland

• Best Example of Energy Management

This award will recognise achievements in reducing energy use and carbon dioxide emissions through coordinated energy management within the workplace. Entrants should demonstrate significant energy savings and how these savings were monitored. They should also highlight why the project was implemented and its critical success factors.

• Best Example of Energy Awareness

The judges are looking for an individual or team whose exceptional work has resulted in greater awareness of energy conservation over the last two years (2008 – 2009). Entrants should describe what energy efficiency projects were championed and how energy users and decision makers were successfully motivated to undertake them and what results were achieved.

ENGAGING COMMUNITIES

Sponsored by Health Service Executive

• Best Example of Engaging Communities in Environmental Projects < 50 employees or volunteers
• Best Example of Engaging Communities in Environmental Projects > 50 employees or volunteers

Entries for this award can include projects such as reuse, recycling, composting, education, litter management, neighbourhood cleanups and associated activities. Partnerships with public bodies / agencies, the private sector and local communities must be represented in the activity. Submissions are likely to include testimonials, data, reports and photographs.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland

• Best Example of Overall Environmental Performance Tourism / Hospitality
• Best Example of Overall Environmental Performance Retail / Service Sector

Open to any business / organisation regardless of size, operating in the county who can demonstrate a comprehensive programme to minimise the impact their activities have on the environment. Entrants for this award should demonstrate their achievements through, involvement of staff and the public. Measurable reductions in use of resources, water, energy and transport specific to their sector will need to be included with submissions for this category.

SPECIAL MERIT

Sponsored by County Enterprise Board

• Special Merit Award < 10 employees

Open to micro-enterprises who have developed or provided a product or service that has made a contribution to the enhancement of the local environment. The judges are looking for a product or service available on the Irish market and providing an eco-friendly solution as effective as its non-environmental equivalent.

• Best Example of Environmental Innovation

The Environmental Innovation Award is at the judge’s discretion and is open to any entry if any particular aspect or the overall achievement of the entry is deemed to deserve special recognition. Novel and competitively priced goods or services designed with a minimum use of resources to satisfy a need and provide a better quality of life could be considered for this award.