Bristol Zoo Gardens has been given a Big Tick Award for Excellence for its green achievements.
The Awards for Excellence are independent and peer-assessed corporate responsibility awards. Run by Business in the Community in association with the Financial Times, the awards recognise and celebrate those companies who have shown innovation, creativity and a sustained commitment to corporate responsibility.
Bristol Zoo was nominated for the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Climate Change Award. The Zoo is one of the few UK zoos to achieve ISO14001 accreditation for its Environmental Management System and, in 2009, reduced its carbon footprint by 4.8 per cent against a 2008 baseline.
Bristol Zoo Gardens' vision is "To create a sustainable future for wildlife and people". As a conservation and education charity, the Zoo aims to increase awareness of conservation and sustainability while at the same time operating as a responsible business.
Director of Bristol Zoo, Dr Jo Gipps, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received this accolade and recognition for the extra lengths we go to, to make sustainability central to everything we do. I’m very proud that Bristol Zoo is leading in its sector in ensuring that carbon reduction and sustainability is core to our strategic planning.”
Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community said: “I congratulate Bristol Zoo Gardens on achieving their Big Tick. It has been a difficult 12 months for business, but this is a sign that companies are not losing their focus on making a positive impact on people and planet, and are prepared to lead by example. That’s what Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence are all about – celebrating responsible business, the leadership that makes it happen, and the benefits to the business and society of doing so. Consumers need to see that businesses are proactive, visible and engaged on the big issues of the day, as Bristol Zoo Gardens has demonstrated.”
Bristol Zoo Gardens has introduced a wide range of measures to improve its sustainability effort and commitment, such as implementing an innovative new software system, pioneered at Bristol Zoo, to measure its carbon footprint. Other measures have included the setting up of an active ‘Team green’, run by Zoo staff to promote sustainable practices in the workplace.
The Zoo also focuses its sustainability efforts widely, firmly addressing not just carbon and energy, but also water, organic and inonorganic waste, travel and transport, procurements of all food, materials and services, and of course the conservation of biodiversity. Not only in the Zoo but at its conservation projects in the wild, and at home.
Team green has worked with Bristol Zoo Gardens’ suppliers to re-think the design of our newest attractions. For example, all new features use FSC accredited timber and LED lighting; the Zoo’s new AmphiPod is insulated with sheep’s wool; the new Butterfly Forest is fuelled by sustainably sourced wood pellets; and the garden benches are made from recycled plastic bottles.
For more information about Bristol Zoo Gardens, visit http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/ or phone 0117 974 7300.
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