Local businesses recognised with Climate Choices business awards

Embassy of United States of America

The US Embassy’s Canberra Green Initiative is the steering committee for the Embassy’s greening movement, and have been part of the Business Recycling Program since 2012. In 2012, they reduced their waste from 580 cubic meters to 125 cubic meters in 2022. That’s equal to a saving of 3,250 household landfill bins or a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 88 tonnes per year. They have installed a bottle refilling station, saving 59,000 single use plastic bottles from landfill. They run an ‘Art from Trash’ competition highlighting the importance of recycling – with prizes funded through their container deposit collections throughout the year. These initiatives are on top of efforts to make recycling available to staff and sharing practices with the diplomatic community and broader Canberra community.

Waste Minimisation Award

Embassy of Belgium

World Bee Day is an important day to mark, both in terms of biodiversity and food security and by extension, climate and the economy. The Belgium Embassy aimed to make their event a zero-waste event. They only purchased items with minimal or zero waste, worked with food vendors to ensure all packaging was reusable, supplied reusable water bottles and refill stations, only had a map and program available through a QR code and asked patrons to consider their mode of transport when getting to the event.

Over 400 people attended the event and the efforts of the Belgium Embassy resulted in only 80 litres of waste (2/3 a wheelie bin) going to landfill, with a further 240 litres going to recycling.

Sustainable Event Award

Electromotiv Pty Ltd

Electromotiv are at the forefront of the shift from diesel heavy to zero emissions vehicles and are committed to the zero-emission transition. They are addressing the emissions challenge by adopting new transport technologies, providing integrated solutions, supporting businesses to consider their options and working with manufacturers and suppliers to understand the needs of the market.

In 2021, Electromotiv won an 8-year contract to deliver and operate 125 zero-emissions buses and associated infrastructure for Transport NSW. They also lease 16 electric buses in New Zealand. They deliver training to develop Canberra’s capacity to support industry transition in partnership with the CIT Electric Vehicle Working Group which establishes Canberra as the renewable transport destination for students.

Zero Emissions Early Movers Award

Woden Valley Early Learning Centre

The Woden Valley Early Learning Centre incorporate connections with the environment in all their climate actions. Children at the Centre learn about the benefits of sustainable activities, are involved in growing food and looking after animals. These mini warriors also participate in programs to re-generate the land such as native plantings.

The Centre incorporates waste minimisation activities across all programs, recycling materials into art, refurbishing old furniture in their centre, and using pigs and worms to dispose of organic waste. The centre is working towards becoming paper-free, and any paper used is shredded for animal bedding then composted on site, they have rainwater tanks to support their gardens and animals. All the produce they grow is shared with the families at the centre. The Centre has a 31KW solar system on their rooftop, which supplies most of their energy. The Centre is creating a network of like-minded education and care services across Australia to promote suitable ways of living. They are also in the process of publishing a children's book, "My Promise" - that is based on their philosophy of promoting opportunities for young children to learn and explore nature through hands-on experiences, recognising their connection, rights and responsibilities to the land.

Sustainable Business of the Year

St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn

For more than 50 years, Vinnies has promoted recycling of Canberra's pre-loved textiles and homewares, opening their first shop in Narrabundah in 1964. Every year in the ACT alone, 50,000 tonnes of donations are recycled, re-used or repurposed, significantly reducing the volume of landfill. Vinnies are also committed to improving their own waste management and have installed recycling for cardboard and paper, general recyclables, coffee pods and toner. Vinnies has installed 16 solar rooftop systems across their facilities, with a total system size of 200kW, reducing their carbon footprint over the next 20 years by more than 4,600 tonnes. Vinnies partnered with Solar Choice to evaluate their electricity usage and found that all 16 of the facilities produced a positive return on investment within five years, with nearly half of sites creating a net positive outcome in under three years and are scaled to facilitate EV charging. Vinnies’ shop managers monitor the data with a Smart Meter, to gain real time understanding of energy usage of their premises, enabling them to shape activities to maximise use of renewable energy and further reduce reliance on the grid. The Society is now actively pursuing a net zero carbon footprint and are working to achieve Federal Climate Active accreditation within the 2022/23 financial year.

Corporate Climate Leader

Little National Hotel

Operating since 2015, the Little National Hotel Canberra lives and breathes sustainability. The hotel building is designed to maximise energy and power saving measures without compromising style and functionality, with efficient and invisible systems designed to minimise the environmental impact. The Little National team actively seeks out suppliers who share their sustainability commitment, with purchasing decisions are carefully considered. Products like toilet paper, slippers and coffee pods are assessed for environment and social benefits. 250 solar panels generate enough energy to power a third of the hotel with an annual saving of approximately $22,000 and a 20-year carbon abatement of 1,859 tonnes. The Hotel also has a sustainability partnership with Bonython Primary School to provide access and education for their students to see environmental initiatives in practice. The Sustainability Committee, chaired by Little National’s General Manager Kathryn Carling, is focused on implementing change across all Doma properties with upcoming initiatives including: a garnish garden, recycling coffee grinds into the hotel gardens, engaging with ReturnIT to recycle containers and donate the proceeds, replacing single-use containers with refillable pump amenities, returning beehives to the hotel roof spaces, and seeking climate neutral accreditation.

Corporate Climate Leader

Vikings Group

The Vikings Group senior management know that to be an employer of choice they need to understand what’s important to their staff. Making ‘green’ business choices is what works for them and their staff are driving sustainable solutions and feel confident to push boundaries and be innovative. Vikings Group were the first company in Australia to introduce uniforms made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The fabric is also fully recyclable. At the end of their useful life, shirts are returned to the manufacturer to be recycled into a new polyester thus having a zero impact on landfill. Through this innovation, 135kg of textiles were diverted from landfill and 473kg of greenhouse gas emissions were avoided.

Innovation Excellence Award

Kathryn Carling, Little National Hotel

In her leadership role as General Manager for three Doma properties (Little National Hotel Canberra, Brassey Hotel and Burbury Hotel & Apartments), Kathryn finds time to share her environmental passion by chairing the Doma’s Sustainability Committee. The committee is driving change and educating the wider staff to not only change their work habits but also influence their environmental behaviours at home. Kathryn’s leadership and guidance have seen several decisions being made with climate impact at the forefront. She has driven initiatives such as converting the Brassey Hotel and the Little National Hotel to paperless properties, saving over 150,000 pieces of paper and over $1,000 a year. Kathryn has also led the removal of all single-use plastics from the Little National Hotel. Education is a passion of Kathryn’s, and she has led staff sustainability education and extended this to primary school students. Most recently, Kathryn has been driving the accreditation of two more Doma Hotels with the

Minister’s Award for Leadership