New Zealand organisations who have innovative ideas and solutions in the areas of conservation or environmental protection could be in line for support from Emirates airline under its A Greener Tomorrow initiative.On the back of its successful debut project, Emirates has announced, in a statement, the continuation of its initiative for a second year, allocating US$150,000 to support environmental or conservation-based not-for-profit organisations in safeguarding their local environment.
With three finalists winning the award last year, Emirates is hoping to attract even more organisations which have innovative ideas and solutions in the areas of conservation or environmental protection. Funds for A Greener Tomorrow have been raised through internal recycling programmes across the Emirates Group.
Organisations are invited to submit project plans describing their project and the impact it will have on the local environment. Applications will then be assessed by a committee within Emirates Group comprised of senior executives and members of the environment team. Submissions that meet the awarding criteria and clear the first committee review will be invited to the second stage, where they will present their project proposal in detail to the committee for final review.
“It has been extremely rewarding to see the impact the first ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ initiative had on the organisations and the people they support. We hope the continuation of the project will encourage other organisations around the world to share their ideas and partner with Emirates in our effort to promote sustainability,” said Will Lӧfberg, Vice President of International, Government and Environment Affairs.
“Supporting environment and conservation organisations that give back to their local communities aligns with our values at Emirates and we are excited to see how this year’s collaboration will help to conserve our environment.”
When the project was first launched, more than 400 organisations globally were nominated for the award by passengers, Emirates’ social media network, universities, environmental and conservation organisations and the general public. Applications came from countries across the Emirates network and beyond, and spanned environmental initiatives such as animal, land and tree conservation, biogas, environmental research, and green transportation.
The applications were of such a high standard that Emirates awarded the funding to three separate projects.
The recipients of last year’s awards addressed a diverse range of issues, from fuel-efficient cooking in Malawi, eco-villages and sustainable farming practices in Pakistan, and the conversion of Manila’s iconic ‘jeepneys’ into battery-operated versions that reduce emissions in the city.
Application forms must be submitted before April 10, 2015. More information about the initiative and nomination criteria can be found at: www.emirates.com/greenertomorrow. Those who wish to nominate an organisation for the award can send the organisation’s name, email address and contact telephone number to [email protected].
