New climate category in Business Excellence Awards

THE Greater Bendigo Climate Collaboration is sponsoring a new Climate Leader category in the 2024 Bendigo Business Excellence Awards.

The category is designed to acknowledge business leaders who are working towards a zero-emissions future.

Climate Collaboration co-ordinator Ian McBurney said the new category aimed to encourage businesses to investigate how they can benefit from reduced power bills, solar power, electric vehicles and resource recovery.

“Entry for this award is open to every business already entering the awards, so businesses don’t need to prepare a separate submission,” Mr McBurney said. “We want to see businesses who have commenced the journey to transition to renewable energy celebrated through this new award category.”

The Greater Bendigo Climate Collaboration was formed in 2021 and is spearheaded by the City of Greater Bendigo.

“In 2023, the Collaboration in partnership with the City of Greater Bendigo, Be.Bendigo and AusIndustry launched the ‘Beat the Power Bills Business’ program to help local small, medium and large businesses to get on board and begin future-proofing themselves against rising power prices,” Mr McBurney said.

“The program offers support to businesses to take control of their energy use and costs, by designing actions that align to their business needs.

“Businesses are saying that they know new energy and transport systems are coming in the near future but they are frustrated by the lack of support for innovation now.

“We urge local businesses to join us and discover how their business can benefit from the transition.”

Nominations for this year’s awards close on April 30. Category finalists will be announced on July 2, with a gala awards night scheduled for August 15.