Most environment and sustainability awards go to organisations, but truth be known it is the champions within them who should be recognised. It is the individual who went the extra yards, who inspired those around them, who had the audacity to hope for something beyond business as usual. That is the premise for the biannual WME Leaders List awards. Below is the short-list of nominations from our online poll, culled by an expert panel in each category. Now it’s your choice. (Voting closes May 26. One vote only per category).
CATEGORIES
• Corporate Sustainability
• Government + NGOs
• Energy + Carbon
• Resources + Waste
• Urban + Industrial Water
• X-Factor
The executive director of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since inception in 2003, Gifford also helped the Global Reporting Initiative developed indicators for the finance sector. He has a PhD on shareholder engagement in changing corporate behaviour, and is on the board of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.
As executive director for development, Moody connects CSIRO with Australian and international government and industry partners. Advisory board places include the Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Before CSIRO he was MD of Natural Resource Intelligence, providing triple bottom line intelligence on land use strategies.
He founded the research and consulting business aiming to enhance the link between sustainability, business strategy, innovation, engineering and science in the carbon space. A former GM Research at BHP Steel, he is a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the environment through development of sustainable resource processing technologies.
The architect of the GreenWay environmental program within IT multi-national CSC, Ogilvie is a passionate advocate of change throughout the industry. He introduced an innovative online sustainability training program for staff and works with senior management to integrate sustainability thinking into resource usage, supply chain management and overall strategic direction.
With 18 years in corporate responsibility and sustainability, from mining and manufacturing to NSW property developer Landcom, Mardirossian now leads Woolworth’s group-wide sustainability, community investment, ethical and sustainable sourcing strategies. This includes a 40% carbon reduction target and moving its own brands to certified sustainable palm oil.
A civil engineer with strong business background, including running Visy and advanced waste treatment firm Global Renewables, White heads Ignite Energy, which is trialling a technology to use dewatered brown coal as an organic fertiliser that helps return carbon to the soil. He is part of Bio-CCS group of Environment Business Australia.
Currently the head of Sustainability and Responsible Investment, McCluskey has been influential in ensuring large superannuation funds examine their exposure to governance and sustainability investment risk, and representing their interests as shareholders. Advisory roles include the Investor Group on Climate Change, Great Barrier Reef Foundation and UN Environment Program Finance Initiative.
The global head of Baker & McKenzie’s climate change and emissions trading practice, Wilder has advised globally on the development of relevant laws, including to the EU, Australia and NZ, Malaysia and the UNEP. He is on a host of NSW Govt key advisory committees, including the NSW Climate Change Council, and a Governor of WWF.
With 16 years in the sector, Mitchell has had responsibility for the sustainability strategies of organisations including Integral Energy, Sydney Water, WSN Environmental Solutions and Bovis Lend Lease. She is immediate past president of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (NSW) and on the committee of the Total Environment Centre.
A veteran campaigner for environmental reform, Angel is behind the innovative Green Capital program that has in recent years engaged businesses, governments, NGOs and members of the community on a wide variety of sustainability issues. Subjecting many figures and policies to fierce analysis over the years, he has been a strong agent of change.
Developing and implementing community conservation programs that influence behaviour change, Lowry’s award-winning education programs have tackled sustainability issues both locally and globally. A recent project focused on the mandatory labelling of palm oil in food products, which has gained public traction. She also sits on the board of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.
Recently resigning as chief executive of WWF Australia, Bourne came to the NGO realm after more than 30 years as a senior executive in the oil industry, including as CEO of BP Australasia. A highly effective advocate for sustainability, he helped shift WWF to engage with mainstream business.
An experienced green building advocate, Madew’s achievements include being a lead negotiator in the ground-breaking agreement to develop a common international carbon metric for buildings. She also chairs the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council and is on the steering committee of the Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development.
Under Burrow’s leadership, unions are beginning to reflect a broader suite of social and environmental concerns. The ACTU has played a key role promoting sustainability, heavily supporting action on climate change and developing strong positions regarding the economic and employment benefits of action, especially through the seminal ‘Green Gold Rush’ report of 2008.
Under the Lord Mayor’s leadership, Sustainable Sydney 2030 is providing the framework for action on environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability issues in Australia’s largest city, with a particular focus on reducing emissions, supporting alternative energy and diversifying transport.
Elected mayor of the fast-growing WA city for her second term in 2009, Creevey has been in local government 15 years and is a tireless advocate for the sector. She was recently appointed to the Federal Government’s Coasts and Climate Change Council, and was a member of WA’s Waste Management Board.
Purves has been instrumental in providing a platform for thinkers and agents of change in Australia, including by funding establishment of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. A former head of WWF Australia and chair of Environment Business Australia, he has a long history of supporting and leading environmental organisations.
Zero Waste SA is pushing the envelope in terms of innovative policy settings. Under Levitzke’s leadership it has advanced on a broad front, rather than pinning all its goals on one “silver bullet” approach. He is a strong voice for reform on the national stage, playing a key role in the adoption of the National Waste Policy.
The former CEO drove ICLEI Oceania to provide sustainability programs and services to over 250 councils since its establishment in 1997. The success of its Cities for Climate Protection-Australia program has been recognised internationally as the largest program of its type in the world, covering 80 per cent of the population.
As MD of the country’s leading consultancy on energy efficiency in commercial buildings, Bannister has played a central role in the development of the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating scheme and NABERS. He has experience in over 400 building projects, from design right through to energy auditing and building information system.
After almost 30 years championing the cause for business efficiencies in energy and carbon management, Jutsen is an internationally renowned expert who has in recent years also provided a strong voice on policy. His highly accessible energy efficiency management tools underpin the practices of many businesses and programs of many government agencies.
Having joined Origin in 1998, Bradford has led the development of its carbon trading and offsets business, one of the country’s largest carbon trading portfolios. In the seven years Australia has been trading carbon, she has led many innovative business solutions. She has also played an integral part in driving Origin’s sustainability agenda.
A solar pioneered, Mills start researching solar energy in Australia in 1975 at the University of Sydney. His principally focus has been on solar thermal electricity development. A former President of the International Solar Energy Society, he is currently chief scientific officer and co-founder at Ausra Inc.
Playing an anchoring role in the early years of the renewable energy industry, Brazzale was CEO of EcoGeneration and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. Combining business and technical knowledge, he is now running Green Energy Markets and is president of Voluntary Carbon Markets Association.
A leader in promoting climate policy for many years, Sutton pioneered ideas such as climate emergency, safe climate and the three-in-one customer (which pre-dated the triple bottom line). He co-authored the 2008 book ‘Climate Code Red’ and played major roles in the Society for Ecological Economics, Sustainable Living Foundation and numerous other NGOs.
One of the most courageous advocates of renewable energy, Diesendorf has consistently de-bunked the myths and explained the issues in layman’s terms. For 16 years he has taught, researched and consulted, including to WWF Australia, StateRail (NSW) and local governments. He co-founded the Australasian Wind Energy Association.
The only mainstream politician to demonstrate real commitment to the principle of action on climate change. Turnbull has showed moral if not effective political leadership on an emissions trading scheme, staking his leadership on the need to embed a structural mechanism in the economy to reduce carbon.
The founder of sustainability advisory firm Net Balance, Jeyaretnam formerly chaired the College of Environmental Engineers and in 2005 was named one of the top 10 most influential young engineers by Engineers Australia. Net Balance has provided carbon balance modelling for the likes of the carbon neutral beer Cascade Green.
As the lead federal public servant in development of Greenhouse Challenge, Vickery was a key – sometimes lone – figure in setting up Cities for Climate Protection, Energy Efficiency Best Practice and the mandatory Energy Efficiency Opportunities program, which has seen companies identify $700 million a year in cost-effective energy savings.
National action on product stewardship is finally grinding ahead and Gertsakis has been at the helm of the push for many years. He spearheaded the TV industry’s drive to develop a product stewardship system and managed to (eventually) get the government on board as well.
An outspoken advocate for over 15 years, Ritchie has championed improved resource recovery and gone to great lengths highlighting the sector’s potential contribution to reducing greenhouse impacts. His roles for the peak waste industry body, WMAA, have included national VP, chair of the Carbon Committee and vice chair of the AWT working group.
The FXA EcoManufacturing Centre in Sydney is celebrating its 10th year of operation and has achieved over $200 million return on an initial $20 million investment by remanufacturing over 250,000 printer and cartridge parts per annum. Godamunne is the technical and business brain behind its success.
A uniting force across the many camps of the waste industry, Wainberg is well respected by his peers. As national president of the WMAA he is working to reform the association to ensure the industry has a strong and clear voice in national and state policy debates.
As the NSW Department of Environment Climate Change and Water’s director of waste management, Gorta has walked the line between being a strong regulator for the government, on the one hand, and understanding the needs of industry on the other. His behind-the-scenes work has helped reform the state’s waste and recycling sector.
As an environmental activist West was, at times, perceived as an opponent of industry. In recent years, however, he has successfully brought together disparate groups from local government, environment groups and industry to look for new solutions to entrenched problems, especially through the National Recycling Initiative.
Resource Recovery)
Recycling used oil filters from the automotive industry since 1993, Isherwood provided the impetus for filters to be banned from Victorian landfills. Other states are now looking to follow suit, while his company is upgrading its facilities to process approximately 190,000 units a month, sourced from across the nation.
of Australia)
One of the country’s most analytical thinkers about packaging and sustainability, Williams has been a key figure in developing and implementing the National Packaging Covenant, and has helped environmental issues gain traction with mainstream industry by focusing on topics such as packaging design, material selection, functionality and lifecycle impacts.
Since helping establish Australia’s first kerbside recycling systems in 1993, Prince has hepled set the direction for the recycling industry, especially as CEO of the Australian Council of Recyclers from 2002-09. Her consultancy has helped establish and refine national waste audit methodologies, and also greatly improved conditions in remote communities.
Influential in shaping Australia’s waste policy over the past decade, a key highlight was the 2001 report for the NSW Government recommending a “portfolio of technologies approach” to waste management. Wright’s work has been referenced and used by most state jurisdictions in framing expectations for improved resource recovery and changing the way waste is managed.
Brown established the urban water governance research program at Monash, which over the last four years or so has been influential in providing guidance on the social dimensions of water sensitive cities. Her vision and energy helped make this area a hot topic, including Moanash’s new Centre for Water Sensitive Cities.
The CEO of the International Water Centre, Pascoe has worked for 30 years in the water industry, predominately in Queensland where he is the Mr Fixit on complex water problems. He advises the Healthy Waterways Partnership and WaterSecure, which runs SE Queensland’s alternative water grid. He has also served on local and global industry associations.
An innovator in several water authorities he has run, Cox at Gold Coast Water was one of the first to talk of desalination and was architect of the award-winning Pimpama-Coomera Master Plan supplying multiple sources of water to new homes. He has continued to push the envelope at South East Water, in Melbourne.
Regarded as one of the pioneers of the domain of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for advanced wastewater treatment, Rabaey has developed a process to recover caustic and hydrogen peroxide from industrial waste streams, including CUB’s Yatala brewery. The technology, which is about to be commercialised, has attracted global attention.
With over 20 years experience in environmental consulting, Hauber-Davidson has helped develop leading edge water conservation design tools, particularly to industrial and commercial users of water. The MD of the Water Conservation Group, he has worked with ASX200 companies, such as Woolworths, to identify their corporate water use, develop strategies to reduce it and help them report.
An independent consultant with 28 years experience in water management, conservation, treatment, reuse and trade waste program development. He was foundation manager of Sydney Water’s Every Drop Counts Business Program, which has been widely copied within Australia and in 2006 won the prestigious Stockholm Industry Water Award.
The winner of the 2009 Queensland EPA Sustainable Industries Award, Mitchell has developed the water smart Mitchell Enviro Industrial Estate. The 4ha site recovers all rainwater in a 4ML dam and reticulates it around estate (solar powered) for all uses other than fire fighting. The model has received wide publicity in Queensland.
The CEO of Melbourne Water has spearheaded its journey towards sustainability and more recently has driven an International Water Association study on sensitive water issues. He established a sustainability team in 2005 to inform Melbourne Water’s initial Strategic Framework, and has led its response to energy and greenhouse issues.
Mitchell is at the cutting edge on decentralised water systems, alternative and sustainable sanitation, proper costing methods and nutrient recovery. Her transdisciplinary work has challenged technical, end-of pipe solutions and she is widely awarded and highly sought after to lead major research and act as an ‘agent provocateur’.
The NSW mid-coast council has taken some bold steps in water management thanks to the commitment of Thompson over a decade. A pace setter in local government, he has driven bold steps to a more sustainable water system, including recycling, education and ‘offstream’ storage dams.
Council of Australia)
The chair of the GBCA is also the Building and Plumbing Commissioner in Victoria, where he is responsible for the regulation of the state’s building and plumbing systems. Arnel has overseen Victoria’s $17 billion building industry during a period of dramatic growth and a new emphasis on sustainability.
The CEO of free food distribution charity Fare Share, Godinho was previously head of peak NGO Environment Victoria, with stints before that including at Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria and Mobil Oil. Fare Share provides nutritious meals to the hungry and the homeless using donated food not needed by markets, caterers and retailers around Melbourne.
One of the leading figures in Victoria’s environment industries, Batagol ran a successful waste company before moving into public service roles, where she has been a key player in driving effective government policy in waste, resource recovery and water issues. The chair of EPA Victoria, she has also chaired EcoRecycle Victoria and Melbourne Water.
A passionate environmental practitioner over three decades, Haylock founded mining environment consultancies ELP and Muddy Boots and is president of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, where he has advocated for improved standards of practice. He was a key supporter of the Certified Environmental Practitioner scheme.
Grahame Collier (T Issues Consultancy)
A highly influential leader in environmental education over many decades, Collier has worked at a senior level in the public health and environment sectors. At the NSW EPA he was Director of Industry and Community Education before moving into consultancy. He is immediate past president of the Australian Association of Environmental Education.
From the waste and recycling program at the Sydney Olympics, Pascoe has built a company that changed the way public events are managed, including the Australian Open tennis, and provided a sustainable packaging and waste recovery process for away-from-home situations such as at Qantas. He has also established it with major UK retailers.
A prize-winning architect and urbanist, futurist and writer on architecture, ecocities and the arts, Downton founded the first Australian community organisation focused on climate change in 1989. In 1991, he was founding convener of Urban Ecology Australia, advocating the rapid development of ecological cities. He drove the awarded Christie Walk development in Adelaide.
After 21 years in the Victorian parliament, Roper has been involved in environmental policy at all levels, from local to international. He’s on the boards of the Washington DC based Climate Institute and Greenfleet (Australia), provides climate advice to Victorian agencies and is the Project Director of the Global Sustainable Energy Islands Initiative.
A neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and chancellor of Monash University, Finkel also founded green lifestyle magazine ‘G’ and has currently invested time and money into electric car company Better Place. His environmental and scientific expertise has resulted in being the inspiration for the yet to be launched Environmental Symphony.
After joining the institute at the University of Technology, Sydney 12 years ago, White has grown it from a team of five to an internationally-respected organisation of more than 50 staff and 25 research students. They perform cutting-edge research on areas such as water and energy efficiency, waste minimisation, futures-thinking and decision-making.
Murray Hogarth (3rd degree)
Andrew Petersen (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
Fiona Wain (Environment Business Australia)
Government + NGO
Martin Brennan (ICLEI Oceania)
John Thwaites (ex-Vic Environment Minister)
Dave West (Boomerang Alliance)
Energy + Carbon
Alan Pears (Sustainable Solutions)
Mark Searle (Key Energy & Resources)
Andrew Stock (Origin)
Resources + Waste
Doug Dean (Veolia)
Helen Lewis (Helen Lewis Research)
Rod Welford (ACOR)
Urban + Industrial Water
Chris Davis (National Water Commission)
Charlie Foxall (Foster’s)
Chris Hertl (GHD)
X-factor
Pat Armstrong (Pat Armstrong Consulting)
Graz van Egmond (Banksia Foundation)
Nick Harford (Equilibrium OMG)