South West C+ Carbon Positive Awards
2009 South West C+ Carbon Positive Awards 
Ten South West businesses, organisations and communities have been recognised for their proactive and innovative low carbon approach, building on the South West's growing reputation for ambition and excellence in achieving sustainable solutions.
The South West C+ Carbon Positive Awards is a regional scheme developed by the South West of England Regional Development Agency and supported by Sustainability South West and Business in the Community recognising and celebrating the businesses, organisations and community groups from across the region that are taking positive action on reducing carbon.
Dr Julian Dennis, Chair of Sustainability South West, said "All of the finalists for the Awards have dealt with the challenges associated with carbon reduction - whether these were in trying to change consumer patterns or in providing products and services that would help their clients to improve their carbon consumption and tackle the 'carbon crunch'."
The 2009 winners were:
Overall winner - Carbon Positive Pioneer 2009 - the business, organisation or community that is having the greatest impact on carbon reduction in the South West
Winner - Nutshell Natural Paints
Runner up - Alastair Sawday Publishing
C+ Carbon Positive Footprints for businesses and organisations successfully cutting their carbon emissions and internally managing their carbon footprint
Winners: Under 50 employees - Inspirations Advertising & Design Ltd; 50 employees or more - Plymouth City Council
Highly Commended: The Limes Bed and Breakfast; University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.
C+ Carbon Positive Consumer Choices for businesses and organisations that have reviewed their products and services and are now offering consumers more low carbon choices
Winners: Under 50 employees – Alistair Sawday Publishing; 50 employees or more – Arup.
Highly Commended: The Limes Bed and Breakfast.
C+ Carbon Positive Cutting Edge for organisations developing innovative carbon cutting solutions. 
Winners: Under 50 employees - EarthEnergy Limited; 50 employees or more - Nutshell Natural Paints.
Highly Commended: Edwards; The Empty Box Company.
C+ Carbon Positive Micro for exemplary low carbon businesses with five employees or less. Winner: C3 Resources Ltd. Highly Commended: Select Solar Ltd.
C+ Carbon Positive Communities for communities that are successfully reducing their carbon footprint.
Winners: Partnership/Public agency led - Egloskerry School; Community led - Bovey Climate Action. Highly Commended: Cheltenham Low Carbon Partnership; Woolsery Sports & Community Hall.
C+ Bristol Green Capital for any organisation in or providing services to the greater Bristol area that is taking positive action to tackle climate change
Winner: Centre for Sustainable Energy. Highly Commended: Abricon.
A free awards booklet full of tips and key learnings from the finalists for reducing carbon in the workplace and your community is available to download below:
Download the 2009 C+ Carbon Positive Awards booklet, here.
Contact SSW at info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk for hard copies.
2009 Awards sponsors are Wessex Water , Viridor , South West Water and Bristol Green Capital . The judging panel included representatives from SWRDA , BT , Viridor, Carbon Sense , Sustainability South West and BITC.
For information only, the Application pack for the 2009 C+ Awards is available to download here .
Download the information flyer for the 2009 Awards, here.
The closing date for applications was 31 March 2009.
C+ Carbon Positive Awards aims:
- To celebrate and reward live best practice examples of businesses, organisations and community groups taking positive carbon action
- To encourage and inspire other businesses and organisations to take positive action
- To share learning from award winners and applicants about the challenges for businesses, organisations, partnerships and communities in adopting a sustainable approach
- To complement local and regional environment award schemes
- To boost the South West of England’s reputation for meeting the climate change challenge positively
- Signpost specialist support organisations and resources available in the region.
Who should apply?
Any business, organisation or community operating or based in the South West that can demonstrate it is actively pursuing and promoting a low carbon, sustainable approach can apply for the awards:
- Have you found an innovative way to reduce your carbon emissions?
- Are you setting a new standard for energy efficiency in industry?
- Can you inspire others to use clean, renewable sources of energy?
- Could your environmental excellence empower others?
How much does it cost?
It is free to enter the awards.
For more information about the Awards, visit our news section and the South West of England Regional Development Agency and Business in the Community websites.
The C+ Carbon Positive Awards 2008
The first South West C+ Carbon Positive Aw
ards culminated in an awards ceremony held at the Met Office, Exeter, 1st May 2008. With almost 100 entries received, the awards, developed by the South West of England Regional Development Agency and supported by Sustainability South West and Business in the Community, demonstrate best practice examples of sustainability in the region. Entries were received from businesses, organisations and communities from many sectors across the region, that have championed greener ways of working. All finalists have been recognised in an Awards booklet, offering their tips and encouragement; key learnings and inspiration to others for their low carbon journeys. You can download a copy of the Awards booklet here or contact us to receive hard copies. Nine organisations, businesses and communities in the region won the coveted top awards for 2008.
And the winners were...
C+ Carbon Footprints
for organisations successfully cutting their carbon emissions and internally managing their carbon footprint:
less than 250 employees
Winner - Commercial Ltd (Cheltenham, Gloucestershire)
As an office supplies company, Commercial has successfully developed, managed and delivered on an incredibly ambitious transition from a traditional business model to a sustainable and twenty first century low carbon business approach.
Runners up - Alastair Sawday & Leap Media
250 employees or more
Winner - Wessex Water Services Ltd (Bath)
A solid example of positive carbon action from a company in a crucial resource restricted sector. Wessex Water is practising what it preaches to both its residential and business customers.
Runners up - Ecclesiastical Insurance plc & EDF Energy
C+ Consumer Choices
for organisations that have reviewed their products and services and are now offering consumers more low carbon choices:
- less than 250 employees
Winner - Who Cares Ltd (Melksham, Wiltshire)
A very committed independent retailer offering only ‘caring, ethical and fairtrade’ groceries and household goods.
Runners up - Rosemullion Homes & Nutshell Natural Paints
No applications reached a high enough standard to qualify as a finalist in the '250 employees or more' category.
C+ Cutting Edge
for organisations developing innovative carbon cutting solutions:
less than 250 employees
Winner - Kensa Engineering (Truro, Cornwall)
An environmental technology manufacturer offering both innovative, affordable and widely available heat-pumps.
Runners up - Good Energy & Plug into the Sun
250 employees or more
Winner - Dyson Ltd (Malmesbury, Wiltshire)
Dyson have produced a truly innovative product in the Air Blade, a very effective dryer making a positive environmental impact.
No applications reached a high enough standard to qualify as a runner up in this category.
C+ Communities
for communities that are successfully reducing their carbon footprint:
- Community led
Knowle West Media Centre’s Carbon Makeover project demonstrates enormous enthusiasm from an urban community and is supported by practical advice for local people.
Runners up - Bovey Climate Action Group & Urchfont Parish Council
Partnership/Public agency led
Winner - United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust (Bristol)
An organisation that, despite no government targets and obligation to do so, is delivering real carbon savings at ground level and helping to develop and support a more sustainable city community.
Runner up - Devon County Council
C+ Micro
for exemplary low carbon micro businesses:
Winner - The Limes Bed & Breakfast (Clevedon, North Somerset)
An excellent example of a micro business working very hard to reduce its carbon footprint, and those of its guests, throughout its entire operations.
Runner up - Mallinson Ltd
The award for C+ Pioneer 2008
the business, organisation or community that is having the greatest impact on carbon reduction in the South West:
Winner - Commercial Ltd (Cheltenham, Gloucestershire)
A company that has made sustainable solutions absolutely fundamental to what they do and successfully integrated them into their way of doing business.
Download C+ Awards booklet
Download promotional C+ Awards flyer 2008
Sponsored by the South West of England Regional Development Agency
The South West of England Regional Development Agency is responsible for sustainable economic development in the South West. It aims to unlock business potential and manage the economy within environmental limits.
www.southwestrda.org.uk
Managed by Sustainability South West and Business in the Community 
Sustainability South West is the independent Champion Body for sustainable development in the South West of England. Its mission is to achieve a South West that is genuinely sustainable: resilient, healthy, productive, socially just and living within environmental limits. www.sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk
Business in the Community is a unique movement of over 800 of the UK’s top companies committed to improving their positive impact on society and the environment. A further 3,000 companies are engaged through its programmes and campaigns. www.bitc.org.uk
© 2007 Sustainability South West - UK registered charity, no. 1106125 - info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk.