Profiling the nominees for the Environmentalist category
Sponsored by the Waterloo Foundation and INSPIRE – University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
The Environmentalist category rewards an outstanding contribution by an individual to the enhancement of the Welsh environment and/or to combating climate change within Wales.
You can watch the video of the shortlisted nominees for the Environmentalist category below:
The shortlisted nominees are:
Emma Davidson, Gecko Clothing
Emma Davidson in partnership with her husband, established Gecko Clothing to create a sustainable, recognised clothing brand. The company sources a number of products that are advertised on her website which have very high sustainable standards. Their little t-shirts are made in India in a Fair Wear Foundation registered factory, powered by wind, on 100% organic cotton, ocean shipped to North Wales for design and print. Emma says:
“Because we are in one of the world’s most environmentally damaging industries, we ensure that our t-shirts are made from cotton grown in regions that receive 95% of their water during monsoon season. It takes over 20,000 litres of water to produce a single t-shirt!”
“Even our hang-tags, made from sheep poo – Poo expelled by Welsh sheep, eating Welsh grass, watered by Welsh rain – are biodegradable.”
Keith Jones, National Trust
The fit for the future initiative started as an idea to integrate the National Trust’s environmental management in Wales into a simple frame work for delivering ambitious gains and reducing the National Trusts overall environmental impact.
According to Keith Jones the aims were simple but the execution was far from clear. Jones helped instigate the monitoring system and environmental management approach in Wales has now rolled out across the whole of the National Trust in the UK. These gains in terms of data clarity, simplification and cost reduction enabled the program to move into much more ambitious investments. Jones led the way and worked on developing their own LED bulbs, insulating all of the mansions in Wales, and smart metering oil, water, gas and electricity.
Lian Carter, Rhondda Housing & FareShare Cymru
Each year in Wales over 400,000 tonnes of food are wasted by the food manufacturing, wholesaling and retail industry, Lian Carter and the team made up of colleagues and volunteers from Rhondda Housing and FareShare Cymru developed and instigated the Community Foodbox Initiative by encouraging vulnerable people to eat healthier.
This first pilot initiative in the South Wales area diverts the edible food currently treated as waste and surplus by food manufacturers & retailers and distributes it to disadvantaged people across the RCT borough. Providing nutritional food boxes to identified vulnerable families, as a package of support to assist them with budgeting, reducing their rent arrears and getting back on track and engaged in community life.
