Sustainable Development
Business units must be able to demonstrate substantial improvement in business performance and commercial success, to levels that are outstanding for the size of the applicant's operations. Businesses may apply under the following criteria:
- An outstanding advance in sustainable development, sustained over not less than two years.
- Continuous achievement in sustainable development, sustained over not less than five years.
Achievements should be in either of the following fields:
- The invention, design, production (of goods), performance (of services, including advice), marketing, distribution, after sale support of goods or services.
and/or
- The management of resources (including natural, manufactured and human resources) and relationships (with people and organisations).
Sustainable Development is described by the Government as "development which ensures a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come".
One of the ways of achieving this is through producing and consuming goods and services more sustainably. In its Sustainable Consumption and Production Strategy, the Government said:
"Future prosperity - at home and abroad - depends on decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. There are limits to the capacity of the Earth to absorb pollution and provide natural resources. This means getting more from less: more consumer needs fulfilled using less energy or water; more value added to a product with less pollution and waste in the process."
The full document is available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/scp/index.htm As well as the environmental impacts of goods and services, and of the organisations which sell them and buy them, it is also important to look at the social impacts - like labour relations, workplace conditions, opportunities for employment, freedom from discrimination. These social impacts are part of ensuring a better quality of life.
The Queen's Award for Sustainable Development recognises business units which have made outstanding advances or have a high level of continuous achievement, in the environmental and social impacts included in sustainable development.
For further guidance about the criteria for Sustainable Development, download this two-page explanatory note. Download PDF Now (124k).
|
