The Green Financial & Professional Services Award
This award is open to organisations providing either financial or professional services who can demonstrate their commitment to developing sustainable business practices. Organisations that should enter include Accountants, Auditors, Engineers, Financial services companies and institutions, Law Firms, Doctors and Consultants. The judges would like to hear about changes you have made to make your business more sustainable. What have you achieved to date and what are your future goals? Do you communicate the need for developing sustainable business practices to your own client base and what are your programmes for inspiring change amongst the workforce? Entry is by a 5-page A4 PDF submission; the judges will be looking for a clear plan and evidence that it is delivering on core objectives, paying particular attention to the criteria listed below.
- Organisation Overview: Describe your organisation’s size, services, and operations. Explain how sustainability is integrated into your business model.
- Sustainability Strategy: Outline your sustainability strategy and how it influences your operations.
- Implementation: Detail the specific changes and practices you’ve implemented to enhance sustainability, such as improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, or adopting greener materials.
- Impact & Results: Provide data on the outcomes of your sustainability efforts and any relevant achievements or certifications.
- Client Communication: Explain how you promote sustainability to your clients and encourage them to adopt green practices.
- Workforce Engagement: Describe how you involve and motivate your staff in sustainability efforts.
- Future Goals: Detail your future sustainability targets and plans for continued improvement.
- Recycling & Waste Management: Describe the steps taken to reduce and recycle waste within your organisation.
- Use of Sustainable Materials: Describe any efforts to engage with “green” suppliers, or to source local, Irish, and sustainable products/materials, to ensure the achievement of your sustainability objectives.
- Bio-diversity / Improving Natural Habitats: Describe any activities your organisation has recently taken to conserve biodiversity, use biological resources sustainably, improve natural habitats.
- Energy / Water efficiency: Describe the steps your organisation has taken to improve energy efficiency and/or water efficiency.
- Sustainable Transport Initiatives: Describe any sustainable transport initiatives your organisation has taken, e.g., to reduce congestion, to green your fleet, or any other any other actions that result in fuel savings, CO2 emission reduction.
- Staff & Community Involvement: Describe how you engage with your community and support the local economy. Include any specific efforts your organisation has made to contribute to its surrounding environment or community.
- Environmental Impact: What commitment has been made to staff training and communication of your green initiatives? What is the level of senior management buy in? Does it form a central part of the culture?
