CREST21 Business Awards to go live on Monday 1 February
Free to enter CREST21 Business Awards have been founded by the Woking News & Mail, in association with the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability and supported by headline sponsor Surrey County Council.
Open to all businesses and organisations based in Surrey, operating in and around the Woking area, industry and local authority leaders are urging business owners to enter ahead of the deadline on 5 March to put a spotlight on what they are doing to protect the planet. There are five awards to enter with a sixth accolade that will be the judges’ choice for the business or individual who has shown outstanding performance in all aspects of sustainability.
The event will be live streamed from the WWF’s Living Planet Centre, Woking, in May 2021. It will be open to entries from Monday 1 February 2021 through its website https://crestawardssurrey.co.uk/awards/.
Headline sponsor Surrey County Council and major supporter Woking Borough Council both welcome the aim of the awards, which is to bring together the best and brightest from the business community operating in and around the Woking area to celebrate projects, individuals, teams and organisations that are redefining successful business with environmentally sustainable developments, policies and practices.
“The CREST21 Awards highlight the importance of the supporting and developing the green economy in Surrey and we are proud to be the headline sponsor,” said Cllr Natalie Bramhall, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change. “Our Climate Change Strategy, published last year, identified that 46% percent of emissions in Surrey come from transport, 28% from buildings and 11% from industry. Businesses are a factor in all of these categories, so if we are to achieve our goal of being net carbon zero by 2050, it is essential we all work together to make changes to our carbon emissions.”
Terry Tidbury, managing director of the News & Mail, said: “No effort is too small, no aspiration too big in our aims to protect our planet from climate change and to create a sustainable living and working environment. We are very proud to have initiated this rallying call to Surrey businesses, in association with the University of Surrey, and are delighted to have Surrey County Council and our other sponsors on board to help us launch the inaugural CREST21 awards.”
Prof Angela Druckman, director of the university’s CES, said: “We are delighted to be part of the inaugural CREST21 awards with Woking News & Mail. This is especially timely with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) being hosted in the UK. CES strives to produce professionals who understand the diverse and challenging nature of sustainability and who are well placed to move the agenda forward in their respective industries. “
In recognition of the fact that the CREST21 Business Awards will launch in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers are also announcing today that this year’s award categories will include a “Resilience in Crisis” category. This will recognise the many challenges that local sustainable businesses have successfully overcome during the past 12 months.
Ian Christie of CES said: “This new award is very welcome in the second year of the pandemic. It’s right to recognise the importance of agility and resilience in business in the face of a crisis. Enterprises that can help us recover in green and socially positive ways are vital to us all. It will be great to make this award to a Woking area business and we look forward to seeing the entries.”
More information on how to enter can be found here on the awards website, https://crestawardssurrey.co.uk.