CES academic gives address at CREST22 Awards
Ian Christie highlighted the urgent climate change challenges we face, and the vital role played by local businesses, at the CREST22 Sustainable Business Awards.
Ian Christie spoke about the vital role businesses will play in tackling the environmental crisis.
(L-r) Marisa Heath (Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment), Ian Christie, Joanna Yarrow (Founding Partner at M&C Saatchi LIFE), Andrew Griffiths (Director of Community and Partnerships, Planet Mark).
Winners of the Crest Awards.
The CREST22 Awards, held on 19 May at the WWF Living Planet Centre in Woking, brought the Surrey business community together to recognise and celebrate triumphs by business enterprises and organisations in green innovation and business sustainability.
Launched in 2019 by Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES) with the Woking News & Mail, the Awards are Surrey’s only awards programme uniquely aimed at recognising and celebrating business sustainability. This year’s Awards were sponsored by Surrey County Council.
Giving the keynote address, Ian Christie (Senior Lecturer in Social Science of Sustainable Development) outlined the challenges we urgently need to tackle in the next decade - including rapid progress to decarbonise the economy, restoring our towns to good health, and making our food and farming systems sustainable.
He said:
“We need global and national plans for climate and nature. But implementation only takes place at the local level. It’s people in local government, local businesses and local communities who will make all this happen. What is vital now is the translation of big strategic plans into action, and that’s why this type of award scheme is so important.”
He outlined how CES is working with local organisations to encourage and bring about change, including recently hosting the launch of the Climate Action Plan with Surrey County Council and the Surrey Hills conference.
Looking forward, Ian said that in 2022 the University of Surrey will open its new Institute for Sustainability, which will work across sectors and disciplines, and next year CES will introduce its first undergraduate degree in sustainability. And perhaps even more important – the University now embeds sustainability into every single course it offers.
The CREST22 Awards also included presentations by Lauren Wiseman of WWF, Andrew Griffiths of Planet Mark, and Marisa Heath of Surrey County Council, and a keynote speech by Joanna Yarrow of Human Nature and M&C Saatchi Life.
Winners at the Awards included local organisations PlantPassion, Clandon Wood Nature Reserve & Burial Ground, Crumbs Brewing, Nordic Wellness Drinks, McLaren Applied and One Thought Changes All.
See the full CREST22 Awards livestream.
