Applications invited for 2015 Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award Program

[March 04, 2015]  CHAMPAIGN - Nominations are now open for the 2015 Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Awards Program. The program is the state’s premiere honor for achievements in protecting the environment, helping sustain the future, and improving the economy. Applications can be submitted on-line at www.istc.illinois.edu/govawards.

Last year’s applicants boasted $7.7 million in savings among business, organizations and communities. Those savings came from energy and resource efficiencies including 29 million gallons of water saved and 2.7 million pounds of material recycled or diverted from landfills, The program also highlighted achievements in utilizing renewable energy and cutting carbon emissions.

The award, begun in 1987, is the nation’s longest standing state environmental award program that annually honors organizations and businesses who have made a commitment to the environment through implementation of outstanding and innovative sustainability practices. Winners usually cut costs and improve competitiveness through efforts that simultaneously advance the “triple bottom line” (people, planet, profits) within their organizations.

“Advancing the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ catalyzes economic and job growth within Illinois while still preserving our natural and cultural resources,” according to Kevin O’Brien, director of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), a unit of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, which administers the award.

Any Illinois public or private organization is eligible to apply for the award. Winners are selected through a rigorous process of review and examination by ISTC technical assistance experts. For more information, and to apply for a 2015 Governor’s Sustainability Award, please visit www.istc.illinois.edu\govsaward.. The deadline for application submittal will be the close of business on Friday, May 22, 2015. Applications must be submitted on-line.

The Governor’s Sustainability Awards will be presented in the fall in the Chicago area.

[Illinois Sustainable Technology Center]

The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the home of the Illinois State Scientific Surveys: Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. It was established by statute in 2008 and builds on the Surveys' reputations for basic and applied research and service. www.prairie.illinois.edu 

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) was established in 1985 and joined the Prairie Research Institute with the other surveys in 2008. Its mission is to encourage and assist citizens, businesses, and government agencies to prevent pollution, conserve natural resources, and reduce waste to protect human health and the environment of Illinois and beyond. www.istc.illinois.edu