Love lingers in the air this week and red hearts adorn our desks but there’s an even more coveted symbol of affection to watch out for from today; the Green Heart.

The organisers of South Africa’s Green Office Week initiative have launched a brand new award to recognise and reward those workplace eco-champions who have given their hearts to the whole planet: The Green Heart Award.

The award aims to bring "going green" into the mainstream by creating rolemodels in South African workplaces and recognising those who have made a significant contribution to going green by finding creative and interesting ways to improve their department, office, dorm, or building’s environmental footprint.

principles of sustainability

Green Heart spokesperson Ana-Maria Valente says: “We are witnessing a dramatic reorientation of the global economy around the principles of sustainability.

This is no longer the altruism of old, but a solution to the climate crisis, the global financial predicament and a way of driving shared prosperity for us all.

In line with this global movement, we are handing over the selection of these eco-champions to the individual to nominate. As with any dramatic shift in our history, there is a need for drivers and visionaries to take us forward and we hope to identify these people among us.”

The Green Heart Award believes “You make a difference” and that there are individuals who have true ‘green hearts’ and are the unsung heroes of our day.

The Award offers an attractive cash prize for both the winner and his or her nominator, among a host of other sponsored prizes.

nominees and finalists

So who in your organisation deserves to be recognised? Is it the bookkeeper or the procurement manager; is it the guy on the third floor who convinced the company to change to energy-efficient light bulbs or the stationery manager? What about the PA who sent everyone a toolkit on how to become green? Or your supervisor who started everyone recycling?

An award committee will select five finalists from the nominees and a judging panel including representatives of GOW, a recognised green expert, a sustainability director, an academic and a media partner, will make the final decision.

To make your nomination, visit www.greenofficeweek.co.za/default.html and fill in a nomination form. Entries must reach us by 20 April 2012 and the Award will be presented at a luncheon on 20 June 2012.

We want to know who your eco-hero/ heroine is and how he or she inspired and motivated green behaviours in your workplace.

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