The finalists of the EADT Business Awards 2024 have been announced.
Here we meet the finalists in the Environmental and Sustainability Award category, sponsored by EastWind.
The winner of this award will be committed to reducing its carbon footprint through innovative and sustainable practices and will be able to provide clear evidence of the steps taken to achieve this.
Vertas Group
Vertas Group in Ipswich supports its clients by delivering sustainable and agile solutions expertly delivered by its people.
It provides a range of services such as integrated facilities management, recruitment and environmental waste and recycling solutions.
Vertas is committed to delivering benefits to the places it operates in and investing in people’s development and wellbeing.
The judges liked that Vertas has appointed sustainability champions and said that “sustainability and the environment are a priority for the group”.
They noted that Vertas is engaging with staff about sustainability and implementing some of their ideas, including clothes donation points, swapping to bamboo toilet roll and recycling crisp packets.
Suffolk New College
Suffolk New College (SNC), based in Ipswich, is an award-winning regional business with a national reputation as a provider of education, training and apprenticeships.
SNC prides itself on offering a diverse range of courses, giving all learners the opportunity to broaden their horizons.
Previously, SNC has won the Association of Colleges Beacon Award for Education for Sustainable Development, and the Further or Higher Education Provider of the Year at the Suffolk Education Awards.
The judges said the college has a “strong strategy for environmental and sustainable practices”, and that it is going “above and beyond in terms of adding sustainability to its learning agenda”.
The Bildeston Crown
Set in the village of Bildeston, The Bildeston Crown is a 15th century three AA Rosette restaurant, hotel and bar.
The produce used at the Crown is grown around a mile away at Nedging Hall, from beetroot to beef, keeping its offering seasonal and local.
The hotel offers tranquil escapes, with Suffolk charm coming from each uniquely decorated bedroom.
The Bildeston Crown has developed its green strategy to ensure it is sustainable and continuing to deliver high standards while working with the environment, and not taking from it.
Judges were impressed by its “commitment” to sustainable practices and added that “sustainability is at the forefront of everything it does”.
University of Suffolk
The University of Suffolk (UoS), located in Ipswich, offers learners the opportunity to align themselves with the modern world of employment and entrepreneurship.
It provides a space to learn with teaching rooms and specialist teaching facilities.
UoS is committed to the advancement of sustainability in education and research, as well as pioneering new technologies and operational management programmes. So much so that its vice chancellor declared 2023/24 a year of sustainability.
The university is passionate about people, the planet and prosperity as it actively works towards meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The judges said that “it was good to see the mix of business ambition and education ambition in terms of sustainability” at UoS, along with “the recognition that the two are as important as each other”.
The winners of the EADT Business Awards 2024 will be announced at an award ceremony at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich on Thursday, July 4. For more information, please visit eadtbusinessawards.co.uk.
To find out more about all finalists, please click here.
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