Do you know someone who has shown a professional or personal commitment to creating a sustainable future for the region through influencing and inspiring change?

Who are Sustainability West Midlands?

Sustainability West Midlands is the sustainability adviser to leaders in the West Midlands. We are also the regional sustainability champion body for the West Midlands, designated by government.  We are a not-for-profit company that works with our members in the business, public and voluntary sectors. Our Board is private sector led and has cross sector representation they are supported by our team of staff and associates.
Our role is to act as a catalyst for change through our advice to leaders, to develop practical solutions with our members and share success through our communications.

Why a green leaders competition?

300 years ago, men and women from the West Midlands started the Industrial Revolution. In 2010, who are the new leaders who will start the green revolution we all require? Sustainability West Midlands vision is that by 2020 businesses and communities are thriving in a West Midlands that is environmentally sustainable and socially just. By 2012 our leaders are clear on what this looks like, have set milestones, and their organisations are making strong progress. To achieve this vision we believe we need to address the ‘leadership gap’ in the region. This is the gap between the knowledge and skills of our current leaders and what is required for us to create a better future for the region, set out in the report ‘low carbon vision 2020’.

To address this gap we have been working with a number of partners to develop this competition to identify and celebrate the top 50 green leaders within the region, whether they are established or emerging, from the business, public, or voluntary sector, or carrying out their role as part of their job or in their own time.

Aims of the competition

The aims of the competition are to:

• Identify the individuals who are or will play a key role in leading us towards a more sustainable future
• Celebrate the success to date of these individuals by profiling the people, projects and organisations they are involved with through case studies and our media partners
• Support the winners through networking with each other and levering in other support over the year through a series of events with our partners.

What makes a green leader?

We have kept the criteria broad to encourage participation. However the application form reflects a number of issues:

• Green leaders can be from different sectors and stages of their careers
• They need to be able to demonstrate that the activities they have been involved with have had a positive environmental impact with additional social or economic benefits
• They need to be able to demonstrate a scale of impact that goes beyond their organisation or community through working with others to share success with a broader sector or geographical location.

The Judging Panel

Sustainability West Midlands (SWM) has brought together a judging panel which draws from green leaders or individuals working with emerging leaders within the region across the business, public and voluntary sectors. The current judging panel includes:

• Councillor David Smith, Leader of Lichfield District Council, SWM Board member, and former Chair of the Regional Assembly
• Chris Crean, Friends of the Earth, Regional Campaigner
• Karen Jordan, National Grid, Head of Climate Change, May Day Business Leaders Group West Midlands
• Louise Perry, Carillion, Head of Sustainability, SWM member
• Louise Teboul, Common Purpose Regional Director
• Mike Kinghan, Low Carbon Communities Network, Whittington and Fisherwick Environment Group, SWM Board member.
• Waheed Saleem, NHS manager, SWM Board member, Lunar Society, and former Sustainable Development Commissioner. Chair of judging panel.

Timetable for competition 2010

March 23rd    Jonathon Porritt launches competition at Lunar Society Annual Lecture
March 29th    Nominations open and forms available on website
May 24th       Nominations close by midnight
May/June      Judging panel meets
14th –18th     Winners invited to event in Birmingham. Final details to be confirmed.

How to apply

The closing date for nominations is Monday 24 May. 

For further information click here.