Launch of Student Eco-Innovation Award
People & Planet and social events organiser UK AWARE have launched a brand new nationwide student award for environmentally friendly design.
This brand new, exciting award aims to highlight and support new talent in the field of Eco-Innovation. It is a national competition to develop students’ enthusiasm for greener living and to raise awareness of the importance of environmental issues at a national level.
The Eco-Innovation award recognises and inspires ideas from the designers and engineers of the next generation, who will be responsible for creating and implementing sound environmental products and designs for the future.
To tackle the growing challenges and opportunities related to sustainable innovation- there is a need for substantial growth in grassroots activity in the UK. The Eco-Innovation Award will act as an important catalyst in this process”
Martin Charter, competition judge and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Design, University College for the Creative Arts, the creator of the Network for Eco-Innovation.
People & Planet is a proactive, grassroots student campaigning network which campaigns against the causes of world poverty, environmental degradation and humanitarian injustice through education and action. UK AWARE, is a social enterprise event organiser, which run large green-consumer events.
Benefits of participation are considerable. Following the event there will be substantial media coverage in both student and industry publications, creating important publicity for the winner’s ideas. This unique award is set to become a permanent addition on the calendar of academic institutions, creating an Eco-Innovation awardthat a is creative and cutting edge innovation. Entries will be judged by an expert panel that includes Charlie Browne, Sustainability Coordinator from IKEA, Martin Charter from the Centre for Sustainable Design and Rob Holdway, CEO of Giraffe innovations and advisor to Channel 4’s ‘Dumped’.
Action, creation and implementation of ideas from students must be encouraged in our society starting from the ground up, which is why competitions such as the Eco-Innovation Award serve such an important purpose. Only by supporting the designers of the future will this be achievable, and will Eco-Innovation gain the platform that it needs and deserves. Schools and Universities play a vital role in giving environmental issues precedence. The Eco-Innovation Awards, will help to shape future of sustainable products and design. People & Planet shares these ideals by being committed to putting green issues firmly on the curriculum within institutions”
James Lloyd, Head of Campaigns, People & Planet.
The shortlisted candidates will get to showcase their environmentally friendly designs at the Barbican Centre in London from 10 — 11 May 2008. The winner will receive a cash prize of £750. The runners-up will be awarded a cash prize of £500 and £250 respectively.
The deadline for competition entries is the 15 April 2008.
For more information email Ben Molen, UK AWARE Ltd., (0845 458 8350) or email James Lloyd, Head of Campaigns, People & Planet (01865 245678).
People & Planet and UK AWARE’s Eco-Innovation award is for students from all disciplines of sixth form age upwards to provide a national platform for recognition, at the UK’s definitive greener living event, LONDON AWARE 08.
UK AWARE deliver environmental services to public and private sectors of society with the goal of reducing the UK’s Carbon footprint. They believe that by focusing on the youth of today, this will change important decisions that are made tomorrow.
People & Planet and UK AWARE are both committed to achieving positive social change through activism, regarding life threatening issues such as climate change. UK AWARE will be running three greener living events a year. One in London, one in Manchester, and one in Edinburgh. The Eco-Innovation award award ceremony will be held annually.
