Grants and Awards
Most environmental grants and awards are designed to provide incentives
for companies to develop and communicate good practice. Usually
grants can help companies to carry out specific activities or plans,
while awards are rewarded for actual outcomes and demonstrable excellence
in a particular category.
This page provides information on environmental grants
and awards which include or focus on biodiversity related activities
or performance. Many of these grants or awards cover a number of
different environmental criteria and biodiversity may or may not
be explicitly included as one of these categories. However since
most environmental issues are linked to biodiversity, it is often
possible to incorporate biodiversity measures and outcomes into
categories such as energy efficiency or transportation.
Grants
A limited number of grants are available to help companies implement
environmental initiatives, including those incorporating biodiversity
outcomes. Wider criteria which may be linked to biodiversity could
include funding for obtaining certification – where part of
that certification process includes addressing biodiversity related
issues. A grant for improved waste water management could also be
used in such a way which improves biodiversity of a site, for instance
through planting reed-beds.
Many biodiversity related grants are offered to conservation organisations
or biodiversity partnerships. These grants often require the recipient
body to obtain match-funding from an independent private source
and companies can help to leverage additional funding through partnering
with a conservation initiative. For example the Landfill Tax provided
funding to a number of local biodiversity partnerships which worked
together with locally based companies or branches.
In addition to financial gains for biodiversity, grants provide
many of the benefits for companies as awards do, including reputational
gains, positive publicity and opportunities for working with employees
as well as the local community.
Awards
Awards are presented to companies demonstrating excellence in the
field of the award and usually have to be applied for through submitting
a written application. A whole range of environmental and sustainability
awards are available, some of which explicitly cover biodiversity,
others which include biodiversity as a category and others where
biodiversity can be tied into other environmental achievements.
The RSA
(The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures &
Commerce) lists a range of such awards, listed by sector and
environmental discipline. Deciding which award to apply for will
depend on a number of criteria, including your aims as a company
for obtaining an awards.
There are a variety of reasons why companies apply for awards.
One of the leading incentives is the positive reputational benefits
that an award can bring, which can be translated into marketing
opportunities and helping to gain competitive advantage. Equally
important to the award itself is the process of applying for the
award which will usually involve a number of different people from
within the company as well as external contacts such as suppliers
or representatives from NGOs or the community. Through the application
process awareness about a particular environmental programme can
be raised and the profile of what a company is doing communicated.
Finally, the awards ceremony itself provides means for communicating
the positive work which a company has done on biodiversity.
Grants and Awards
Business
Commitment to the Environment (BCE) an
independent awards scheme that recognizes excellence in business
commitment to the environment runs annually and is aimed at businesses
that can demonstrate commitment to the environment, over and above
statutory requirements. Businesses from across the United Kingdom
compete to show best practice in: Climate change and air quality;
Waste management and resource efficiency; and Protecting Britain's
countryside and natural resources.
The
Sponsorship Award Scheme, operated by Scottish
Natural Heritage, aims to encourage the corporate sector to
make a greater financial contribution to natural heritage projects
by match funding their sponsorship.
Environmental
Communication Award a European award sponsored by the European
Nature Heritage Fund and Ballagio
Forum for Sustainable Development. The award recognises efforts
in the area of media that present in an innovative, factually accurate
and well presented manner way’s and structures that are needed
to achieve sustainability. Corporate reports of outstanding environmental
or sustainability efforts, high-quality media work or unique forms
of artistic expressions are all examples of work that can be submitted
for consideration. Bi-annual award for more information click here.
Landfill
Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS)
The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme encourages and enables landfill operators
to support a wide range of environmental projects including land
reclamation, parks maintenance, and covering administrative overheads
of environmental bodies.
Non-profit bodies can
apply for funding through registering as Environmental Bodies with
Entrust
or by approaching Distributive
Environmental Bodies which can help other organisations access
funds. You can find the nearest Distributive Environmental Body
in the UK by visiting the Entrust
Directory . An example of application procedures can be found
through Waste
Recycling Environmental Limited.
The
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
The Countryside Stewardship Scheme provides grants to improve the
natural beauty and diversity of the countryside, enhance, restore
and recreate targeted landscapes, their wildlife habitats and historical
features, and to improve opportunities for public access. The scheme
benefits land managers and owners who agree to manage land in an
environmentally beneficial way in return for annual payments. More
information and application details are available from DEFRA.
The
British Trust for Ornithology's BTO-Hanson Business Bird Challenge
The British Trust for Ornithology's BTO-Hanson Business Bird Challenge
is a celebration of the partnership between business and the environment,
recognising conservation initiatives by company sites throughout
the UK. Prizes are awarded in the categories of Birds, Conservation
and Community. For more information please contact Helen Kramer
at 01842 750050 or visit BTO.
Registrations must be received by 31 December 2004.
Aggregates
Levy Sustainability Fund
A major new grants scheme has been launched to reduce the impact
of quarrying on the environment. The £58.6 million Aggregates
Levy Sustainability Fund raises funds from a tax – the Aggregates
Levy – placed on every tonne of rock taken from quarries.
The fund will benefit local communities by increasing biodiversity,
conserving geological features and could even be used to buy out
long-standing mineral extraction rights threatening the existing
countryside.
Any individuals, company, organisation or agency can apply and the
application must be linked in some way to the direct or indirect
impact of past or present aggregate extraction activities. Information
packs and application forms can be downloaded from English
Nature or by contacting Sally Allen on 01476 584821.
For further information about other English Nature grants, see
here.
Rural
Enterprise Scheme
Grants for projects that help develop more sustainable diversified,
and enterprising rural economies and communities are available through
the Rural Enterprise Scheme until 2006. The primary aim is to help
farmers adapt to changing markets and develop new business opportunities.
Application forms are available at the DEFRA.
SEEDA Sustainable
Business Awards are held annually and award businesses in the
South-East that demonstrate that sustainability has a presence throughout
every aspect of business. With 12 categories ranging from resource
efficiency to biodiversity overall winners are chosen from three
company size categories. The award winners demonstrate that a responsible
approach brings benefits to every aspect of business.
The
Seed Initiative (Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development)
is an international award scheme set up by many organisations including
IUCN. Any group in the process of planning and setting up a partnership
project that relates to the three pillars of sustainable development
(environment, social and economic) is invited to present its innovative
ideas for the competition. As well as funding seed awards publicly
recognize promising, entrepreneurial ideas and, using the connections,
knowledge and experience of the seed partners, make available the
most appropriate direct assistance to help turn these ideas into
reality
The Wales
Environment Awards, run by
ARENA Network, showcase a wide range of environmental best practice
in businesses across Wales. This year’s awards will be held
in November in Cardiff. There are eleven award categories, some
of these are: Environmental Management System Award; Award for the
Most Promising New Environment Product or Service; Sustainable Tourism
Business award; Business and biodiversity award. To make an application
or see previous winners follow this link: http://www.arenanetwork.org/awards/index.asp
To apply for a Carbon Trust Loan or to find out how the Carbon
Trust can help your business become more energy efficient call the
helpline for free advice and guidance on 0800 58 57 94 or visit
the Carbon Trust website www.thecarbontrust.co.uk.
Photo Credit: Dave Hillyard/Earthwatch Intitute
(Europe) |
