The ACE Sustainability Award 2009

Background
‘THE ACE SUSTAINABILITY AWARD’ has been launched to acknowledge and reward those companies; organisations or groups that have brought about improvements or demonstrated progress on environmental and sustainable development issues and implemented change in their activities and procedures to the benefit not only of their own company and workforce, but to the improvement and betterment of our whole industry.

Whether through paper and packaging, energy saving fuels or electricity, greater efficiencies in storage, warehousing or transportation or through numerous other initiatives our industry has been in the forefront of sustainability issues. Now is the time for the story to be told.

Eligibility
Applications for the ACE Sustainability Award can be made by any company, organisation or group relevant to ACE (namely, publishers, distributors, wholesalers, service providers or retailers).

ACE is very aware that both its membership and the industry it represents is made up of large, medium and small organisations. This Award is open to ANY organisation or group, regardless of size.

Any ‘green’ project, or initiative, that has been coordinated, applied or is in progress, within the UK, between the period 1st January, 2008 to 31st December, 2008, will be eligible.

No project or initiative is too big or too small to be entered for the ACE Sustainability Award.

Essential Criteria
The judges will take special credence of the involvement of circulation, distribution and allied functions and people in each of the entries, not losing sight that this award specifically relates to the publishing industry and those involved in it.

Purpose of the award
The purpose of the award is to identify the best companies and groups within our industry and to help champion the work they are doing.

Award judging criteria
There are three main award judging criteria;

• Eco-efficiency
• Environmental Management
• Green Leadership

Eco-efficiency
The concept of creating more goods and services while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution.

Measures of eco-efficiency include; a reduction in materials used; a reduction in energy used; improvements in re-usability and recycling; greater durability of products and so on.

Environmental Management
Managing activities, services and products with consideration for the environment.

Measures of environmental management include; good environmental governance through policy, responsibility, operations and procedures; measuring and managing environmental impacts; setting environmental targets and monitoring performance; training, education and development of people.

Environmental Leadership
This involves organisations showing ‘green’ leadership through; innovation, creativity, vision, commitment or the implementation of new directions.

Guidelines
All initiatives, plans and projects should relate to the calendar year, 2008.

Entry can be on one of three levels;

CORPORATE – an initiative by a company that affects that particular company but is transferable either wholly or in part to others.

PRODUCT (or SERVICE) – a particular project undertaken by a small set-up, company, group or department, that could be transferable elsewhere.

SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION – rewarding a particular individual who has made an outstanding contribution..

Entries could apply to any of the following;

• Waste – reduction and saving.
• Energy/Carbon – reduction and saving.
• Transport – reduction and saving.
• Pollution – reduction and saving.

First and foremost ACE wishes to recognise and reward those companies that have made measurable and long-lasting environmental progress in a sustainable way. While one-off initiatives are important, extra credence will be given to those actions and efforts which are likely to have longer term benefits.

Judging
As this is a new award for ACE, and a departure from our usual awards, we have engaged the services of a specialist in the field of environmental affairs, Faber Maunsell, who will assist us in the judging.

The judges will consider a number of measurements in selecting the winner and runners-up of this award.

The following will be taken into consideration;

• Was the project successful in promoting environmental stewardship?
• What leadership skills were demonstrated in the project?
• How transferable were the ideas (how will they benefit others).
• What was the level of employee and people involvement (was there staff involvement? Are there other social benefits?)
• Was there quantified evidence of a significant improvement in environmental performance?

While financial savings to a particular company are clearly important the judges will be more influenced by how an innovation or a change in process or practice can benefit the industry as a whole.

Above all the judges will look for HARD EVIDENCE that the implementation of an initiative, project or plan has benefited, not only the company organisation or group itself but that it is transferable to others or has lasting benefits to others within the industry.

What to supply
All entries for the ACE Sustainability Award, 2009, must include the following;

• A short, (approx. 2 x A4 page) Executive summary.
• Documentary evidence of the project, plan or initiative, showing what was done and what was achieved.
• A brief summary of how lessons learned can be applied to others within the sector or industry.
• Testimonials, commentaries or comments from those positively affected by the changes (staff, suppliers, customers etc.) will be welcomed by the judges.
• All evidence can be backed up or supported by Web links.

Next steps
If you would like to enter the ACE Sustainability Award for 2009, please follow the instructions above and send your entries to;

Mr. Malcolm Hanna,
(ACE Sustainability Award),
Faber Maunsell,
The Johnson Building,
77, Hatton gardens,
London, EC1N 8JS.

PLEASE mark your entry clearly; ACE SUSTAINABILITY AWARD.

Entries to arrive at the above address no later than Friday 6th March, 2009.

The ACE Sustainability Award and runners-up will be presented at the ACE PRESS AWARDS on Wednesday 25th March, 2009 at the Inter Continental Hotel, Park Lane, London.

The Prize
As this award, by measuring and rewarding a new area of endeavour, is a break in tradition for ACE we view that this is an ideal opportunity to present the winner, and runners-up, with a new kind of prize.

As well as presenting the usual certificate ACE will donate, on behalf of the winner, to a project to plant trees in the UK.

Faber Maunsell is an award-winning, international consultancy specialising in environmental services, transportation and buildings. With an annual turnover in excess of £160m, they employ more than 3,000 people across the UK and continental Europe. Their vision is to ‘enhance and sustain the built, natural and social environment.