New award for London's most sustainable caterers

New Sustainable Food Award Launches as Part of Renowned Sustainable City Awards
Deadline for entry: 5 December 2008

For the 8th year running, the City of London Corporation today will be giving businesses the chance to enter into the prestigious Sustainable City Awards. BSkyB, Metropolitan Police, Berkeley Group, Opportunity International UK and Beales Hotels are amongst some of the past winners who have been rewarded for their outstanding achievements in sustainability.

To further the green agenda and to celebrate the achievements of the sustainable food movement, the Sustainable City Awards have launched a new category: Sustainable Food, which will focus on sustainable catering.  In association with Sustain, the green food campaigners, this new category is open to all London based catering organisations, who pride themselves on reducing their impact on the environment and improving the health and wellbeing of their staff. Such catering organisations include restaurants, schools, hospitals and events caterers.

The RSA accredited Sustainable City Awards recognise and reward UK wide organisations, from the multinationals to the SMEs, on their outstanding achievements across all aspects of sustainable development. These highly respected awards are one of the only six feeder schemes for the European Business Awards for the Environment, meaning that all category winners have the chance of international recognition for their sustainable efforts.

Categories

Sustainable Food
Winners for all nine awards will be chosen by a panel of environment and sustainability experts from the Worshipful Company or Champion Organisation supporting each of the categories. The new Food category assesses the sustainability management of catering organisations, including their provision of sustainable food.

Ben Reynolds, Network Director at Sustain, says: 'We are delighted to be a part of the UK's most prestigious and highly sought-after Awards in sustainability. By supporting the Sustainable City Awards we are rewarding catering organisations who advocate food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity, and therefore enrich society and culture.'

This year, as well as introducing the Sustainable Food category, the Sustainable and Ethical Investment category will retain its focus on pro-poor finance and international development.

Award Categories
This year's award categories (open to applicants from across the UK unless otherwise stated) are:

1. Sustainable and Ethical Investment and Asset Management – in association with UKSIF  (UK wide)
   
2. Traffic Reduction and Transport Management – in association with Better Transport, EAST Journal and the Worshipful Company of Carmen (UK wide) 
   
3. Resource Conservation – in association with the Society for the Environment, the Worshipful Company of Launderers and the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators (UK wide)
   
4. Sustainable Procurement – in association with London Remade (UK wide)
   
5. Sustainable Building – in association with the BRE and the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors (UK wide) 
   
6. Adapting to and Mitigating Climate Change – in association with Pure the clean planet trust and the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers  (UK wide) 
   
7. Access to Goods and Services for Disadvantaged Communities – in association with City Bridge Trust with the Worshipful Company of Patten Makers  (London only)
   
8. Environmental Management in SMEs – in association with the London Sustainability Exchange and the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (London only)
   
9. Sustainable Food – in association with Sustain (London only)

Simon Mills, the City of London Corporation's Sustainability Co-ordinator says:  'Never before has sustainable food been higher on the agenda than now. While there are many catering organisations out there making a real difference, there are many unsure of how to change. The launch of the sustainable Food category will recognise achievements, whilst establishing ambassadors of best practice, who can set the standard for others to follow and provide a real inspiration.' 

Last year the SMEs shone through. Winners include: Beales Hotels, the London Borough of Bromley, One Planet Products and Opportunity International.

The Sustainable City Awards were established in 2001 by the City of London Corporation and are run in partnership with 20 organisations, including livery companies, trade bodies, voluntary sector organisations and businesses. Representatives from each of these organisations join the judging panel to select winners and runners-up across the award categories. Winners will be announced in a prestigious awards ceremony during which exemplary green credentials will be shared with an appreciative audience at Mansion House, the Lord Mayor's official residence, in February 2009. 

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors:
Further information and judging criteria for the Sustainable City Awards, along with an application form can be found at: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/sca. Entrants are strongly encouraged to submit applications electronically. An MS Word version of the form is available on request by e-mailing sca@corpoflondon.gov.uk and completed forms can be returned to the same address.

The closing date for entries is 5 December 2008. There is no fee for participating in the Sustainable City Awards.  For more information on the European Environmental Awards, visit www.defra.gov.uk/environment /internat/euroawards/

The Sustainable City Awards are only made possible through partnership with the following organisations:

• Sustain
  
• BRE
  
• Pure
  
• CESMB, Middlesex University
  
• GEMS
  
• City Bridge Trust
  
• Global Action Plan
  
• London Remade
  
• London Sustainability Exchange
  
• The Society for the Environment
  
• The UK Social Investment Forum
  
• The Worshipful Company of Carmen
  
• The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors
  
• The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners
  
• The Worshipful Company of Fanmakers
  
• The Worshipful Company of Launderers
  
• The Worshipful Company of Patten Makers
  
• The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators
  
• Better Transport

City of London Corporation
The ancient City of London Corporation has a 21st- century role supporting the business City as the world's leading international financial and business centre. The City of London Corporation provides local government services for the City of London “Square Mile” at the heart of London - but its responsibilities also extend far beyond the City boundaries and include paying for and running the Barbican Centre, Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, and three wholesale food markets, as well as acting as the London Port Health Authority. The City of London Corporation is the sole trustee of The City Bridge Trust.

FOR PRESS ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
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