With one week to go before the entry deadline, Greenrock is encouraging organisations and businesses of all kinds to enter The Green Workplace Awards’ (GWA) third year.

Launched in 2011, the philosophy behind the GWA is to reward effort and progress towards more sustainable workplaces.

Winners of the second annual Green Workplace Award were profiled in the December 2012 issue of The Bottom Line magazine, and were recognised at an award ceremony during their Earth Hour celebrations in March 2013. This year’s competition’s winners will also be profiled in The Bottom Line.

Bryan Adams, the chairman of Greenrock’s Green Buildings Forum which runs the GWA, said: “It’s been very successful in previous years, and a broad range of organisations enter. We’ve had building tenants, hotels, schools, and building owners and others.

“The GWA came about from Greenrock’s Green Buildings Forum,” he explained. “We went to the forum members and said: ‘What would encourage you to push green initiatives?’ And they said: ‘A competition!’”

“Entries are down this year compared with previous years,” he said, explaining they have just eight or nine organisations signed up at present. The economic downturn is part of the reason for the smaller numbers, and after two years of the competition those who have entered in the past may feel they’re not doing much more than they have done in previous years.

But Mr Adams said that while international businesses often have green initiatives built into their global mandates, smaller local companies and other organisations also have shown imagination and commitment to the cause. “It’s a great thing — it’s always encouraging to us to see the efforts companies go to, to win the award. It doesn’t need to be a big undertaking — it can be small things.”

He said that last year, for example, Saltus Grammar School and The Berkeley Institute both had energy saving plans in place which impressed the judges. Mr Adams said if your company or organisation is doing something which seems to be a small initiative — “Then please enter and share the good news!”

Mr Adams said Greenrock wants competitors to report on three main questions:

1. Environmental impact — have you been able to reduce the amount of paper, water, electricity or anything else? If you can quantify it, Greenrock wants to know.

2. What green policies are adopted and practised by your company or workplace?

3. Have you run any competitions, used corporate days to help the environment or run any other office initiatives?

“This competition keeps people’s interest alive,” he said.

To enter the GWA, go to Greenrock’s website: www.greenrock.org