EnviroCom Awards honour county’s green achievements

FROM the Garda’s Green Transport Initiation and Mountain Bike Patrol, to An Taisce’s Booterstown Marsh Nature Reserve, and from UCD’s Water Conservation Project to Stillorgan Park Hotel’s sustainable management programme, the best of the Southside’s green initiatives were rewarded at a glittering gala dinner last week.

The occasion was the annual Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Chamber EnviroCom Awards that were held in the prestigious surrounds of the Radisson Blu Hotel.

The EnviroCom Awards honour outstanding businesses, agencies and not-for-profit organisations for their environmental achievements in the county.

Now in their eighth year, the awards are organised by DLR Chamber of Commerce with President Dr Josephine Browne, supported by D˙n Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Corporate Sponsorship by Utilitywise Ireland.

The awards were presented jointly by cathaoirleach Marie Baker and Alex White, the Minister for Communication, Energy and Natural Resources.

The awards recognise the excellence in environmental management by business and agencies of all sizes or sectors operating in the county area of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

Airfield, which underwent extensive renovations between 2011 and 2013 won an Award for Environmental Performance for its new world class visitor and educational facilities and their success in educating urban residents on farming, the environment and the natural world.

The Garda’s Blackrock District was recognised for its Mountain Bike Patrol programme which saves fuel and reduces carbon emissions.

The all-volunteer Booterstown Nature Reserve Management Advisory Committee working under An Taisce has restored and enhanced the only remaining salt marsh on the Southside while Foodcloud and Tesco Ireland received the Environmental Innovation Award for creating and implementing a smart phone App and website the enables businesses with surplus food to connect with charities helping individuals.

Future Fit, based in Dun Laoghaire, won an award for Engaging Communities in an Environmental Project for its work with sports clubs, both locally and across Ireland, while Honeypark, built by Cosgrave Developments received the award for Energy Management for its high density mixed-use development that incorporated ultra-energy efficient housing, a retail centre, parks, community centre and wildlife areas.

Nutgrove based MicroPro Computers won an award for Environmental Performance for developing and building top spec laptop computers that are designed to be updateable, reusable and recyclable, while St Michael’s Hospital in D˙n Laoghaire won the award for Waste Management for reducing their food waste.

The Stillorgan Park Hotel won a large organisation award for Environmental Performance for its programme to install ultra-energy efficient LED lighting throughout the hotel, while the Spokesman won the award for Special Merit/Microenterprise for identifying an unmet niche in the market for a bike repair service

University College Dublin (UCD) was recognised with the Award for Water Conservation for the implementation of its strategic plan to save water.

Minister White applauded the efforts of the EnviroCom award winners. “Their leadership in environmental management on the Southside is crucial,” he said. “Without a strong tide of public support, it will be impossible to lower emissions and end our dependency on fossil fuels. If we’re to successfully move from being a high carbon to a low carbon country we need local agents of change pushing and driving the green agenda through every local community in Ireland. This is exactly what the EnviroCom nominees and award winners are doing.”