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PREPARATIONS for the inaugural Green Business Awards set for November 28 in Harare are now at an advanced stage.
Green Business Awards chairman Mr Sebastian Zuze said the response from organisations from different sectors vying for honours has been tremendous.
He said the organisations that have made submissions include schools, mining companies and manufacturers.
“Since our thrust for the awards hinges on the promotion of a business culture that is environmentally friendly through resource mobilisation and utilisation in a sustainable manner, we are happy that some primary schools have entered into the race while mining companies have also come on board.
“This is a welcome development since we also want to catch kids at a tender age for them to appreciate environmental issues and their importance.
We also applaud mining companies that appreciate performing their activities in an environmentally friendly manner,” he said.
Mr Zuze also applauded the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe for taking a leading role in preaching the gospel of environmental sustainability after coming up with the idea of a Green Valentine’s in February this year.
“We also appreciate innovative ideas that help promote environmental sustainability like what the First Lady did by coming up with a Green Valentine’s Day that creates awareness on the importance of safeguarding the environment in all facets of our livelihood,” he added.
The categories
Mr Zuze said categories for the November awards cater for all sectors one might think of and these include the most prestigious of all, the overall Green Business Award, the Green Mining, Green SME, Green Retailer, Green Supply Chain, Green Corporate Citizen, Green Entrepreneur, Green Innovation and Green Manufacturer Awards among others.
The awards chairman also said they had already identified the relevant people to sit on the panel of adjudicators drawn from industry and commerce and higher and tertiary education institutions.
The Green Awards initiative was officially launched in March this year by a local events company, Xhibit, with a view to encourage and reward businesses with operations that are environmentally sustainable.
In a speech read on his behalf at the Green Business Awards official launch in March, outgoing Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister Francis Nhema said there was need to protect the environment in order for the country to meet Millennium Development Goal No.7.
“The Millennium Development Goal No.7 seeks to ensure environmental sustainability in Africa through protection, preservation, conservation and rehabilitation,” he said.
The awards will be held under the theme “Greening the Economy for Sustainable National Prosperity”.
Online Reporter