Toronto, Ontario Green Toronto Awards

Type: Program
Status: Ongoing
Source File: http://www.toronto.ca/greentorontoawards/index.htm
Description:
Winter, spring, summer, fall... Who's the greenest of them all? You tell us! The City of Toronto's environmental awards of excellence honour and celebrate the individuals, organizations and companies leading the way to a cleaner, greener and more liveable Toronto.
Award categories
Each year, the City of Toronto, in partnership with Green Living Enterprises and media and corporate sponsors, recognizes environmental leadership in 10 award categories.
* Community Projects
* Energy Conservation
* Environmental Awareness
* Green Design
* Green Roof
* Leadership
* Market Transformation
* Water Efficiency
* Youth
* Bob Hunter Environmental Achievement
COMMUNITY PROJECTS Award
There are a large variety of greening projects in Toronto that reflect the vast diversity of our neighbourhoods communities. Community projects are at the heart of what makes Toronto the living, breathing city that we all love. Community projects with environmental goals are what will ensure our city is healthy and beautiful in years to come.
The Community Project Award acknowledges the work of volunteers engaged in community building and conservation. Urban stewardship takes many forms, including establishing community gardens and creating wildlife habitat; organizing and hosting local clean up days; restoring long-term health and balance to local ecosystems; preserving and/or restoring natural habitats; demonstrating creative solutions to the meeting points of the natural and urban worlds; and, activism to establish and sustain protected areas and shared community grounds.
Sponsored by Loblaws
ENERGY CONSERVATION Award
Our resources are limited and need to be responsibly managed if they are to be sufficient enough to meet the needs of future generations. Current efforts to reduce energy consumption and develop renewable energy sources are making great strides towards conserving our natural resources.
The Energy Conservation Award rewards successful, measurable improvements in operation or production processes that reduce consumption. These could include comprehensive and formalized policies, programs, systems and procedures that reach beyond compliance with municipal, provincial or federal regulations. Improvements worthy of the Energy Conservation Award could include the implementation of energy efficient equipment and systems; taxis that run on alternative fuels and other endeavours to use less fuel in transportation; new technologies in renewable energy production; and the development of sustainable business practices.
Sponsored by EnWise
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS Award
Environmental education is designed to heighten awareness about green issues and promote actions that lead toward sustainability.
The Environmental Awareness Award is for an individual, group or company who has helped people understand the delicate balance of the natural and man-made worlds as they interact in the City of Toronto. The opportunity to increase awareness presents itself in many ways. This award acknowledges all acts of environmental education including teaching students, young and old, how their actions can make a difference. This could include coordinating outdoor arts and cultural events that bring an environmental issue to the forefront, producing media stories that cover environmental issues in a responsible, positive way, and developing books, movies, web sites and other educational innovations which contribute to a deeper understanding of conservation and environmental issues.
Sponsored by Toronto Hydro
GREEN DESIGN Award
Innovation and leadership in industry translates into livable cities with green building projects, improvements to infrastructure, sustainable transportation and waste management.
The Green Design Award rewards the efforts of a company, project or group working with infrastructure, architecture or industrial design. An example of this could be the renovation of a space or structure, or the development and implementation of a revolutionary environmental design solution. Or it could be developments that promote the well being of occupants or man-made improvements such as re-naturalizing parks, or green technologies or products. An award-winning Green Design project could succeed in reducing the environmental impact of transporting people, products and resources, or even improve the health of the City and its residents.
Sponsored by Enbridge Gas Distribution
GREEN ROOF Award
A green roof is a system where a vegetated area becomes part of a building's roof. Green Roofs hold the potential to green Toronto by increasing energy efficiency, improving air and water quality, as well as beautifying the city by providing natural green spaces in built-up areas. Green or living walls are both functional and beautiful, acting as a biofilter and improving the aesthetics of any room.
The Green Roof Award recognizes an individual, company or project contributing to a healthy and beautiful city through the environmental, economic and social benefits of green roofs and walls. An award-winning project could be a roof with ground for gardening, food production and horticultural therapy or provide passive recreational spaces for densely-populated neighbourhoods or show evidence of energy savings through a green roof or wall retrofit.
Sponsored by Stantec
LEADERSHIP Award
Great environmental leaders offer their fellow Torontonians a shared optimistic vision, as well as the opportunity and motivation to engage in greening projects that achieve results.
The Leadership Award rewards an individual or company's effort that goes above and beyond the norm. The winner will have a track record of excellence in their contribution to the state of the city's environment. And that individual or company can be an ENGO leader, a community worker or an activist or company involved in getting something green and worthwhile done. The award could be given for lifetime achievement to someone who has given it their all for decades, or it could be for a dedicated individual or company who is inspiring others and delivering results.
Sponsored by the Toronto Community Foundation
MARKET TRANSFORMATION Award
The Market Transformation Award recognizes the efforts of a manufacturer, retailer, NGO, marketing company, or an individual promoter or designer to utilize market forces successfully, to promote products, services and choices which lessen the impact on the environment and human health.
Activities which could be recognized include new product innovation and the development and implementation of successful social marketing campaigns. We believe that in addition to traditional environmental activities which influence behaviour, there is a great opportunity to use the power of the market to change consumer behaviour to make better choices.
Sponsored by Green Living Show
WATER EFFICIENCY Award
Many people consider Canada blessed with a plentiful fresh water supply, and Toronto is no exception, situated on the shores of Lake Ontario, with a number of rivers running through our city. Water, however, is a scarcer commodity than most people think, and it needs to be responsibly managed to meet the needs of future generations.
The Water Efficiency Award recognizes efforts to sustainably manage and reduce water use and promote water conservation.
Sponsored by Toronto Water
YOUTH Award
The future of the green movement begins with our youth. Toronto's young people work on greening projects in their schools and communities and show as much dedication and commitment to their environment as any green activist. Rewarding their efforts will ensure future caretakers of the environment who will in turn lead by their own example.
The Youth Award highlights the efforts of young people (18 years of age and under on December 31, 2008) who show leadership in greening projects. These could include school ground naturalization, waste minimization such as recycling initiatives in schools, energy conservation through audits and follow-up action, wild animal protection initiatives, fundraising, and awareness building for environmental causes.
Sponsored by TD Friends of the Environment
Bob Hunter Environmental Achievement Award
Outstanding contributions to the quality of the environment by a City of Toronto Agency, Board, Commission or Special Purpose Body or Division.
Named in honour of the late Bob Hunter, this award acknowledges the actions of the City's own organizations towards improving environmental quality in the City of Toronto. It is designed to recognize City of Toronto organizations that have combined their core business with effective strategies and breakthrough creative solutions to maintain and enhance the urban environment.
This award category is open to City of Toronto Agencies, Boards, Commissions or Special Purpose Bodies or Divisions only.
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