The ECC was recognised as having the best environmental sustainability project out of all businesses, government and community projects in NSW. For a community based organisation to win such an award, especially given some of the major multinational corporations also involved, is an extraordinary achievement.

The Green Globe Awards are the leading environmental awards in NSW and give recognition to the outstanding achievements in the sustainable use of natural resources and leadership in tackling climate change.

Winners of the 2009 Green Globe Awards were selected by an independent panel of expert judges and announced at a gala event hosted by Deputy Premier Minister Carmel Tebbutt.

The award was presented by Minister Tebbutt to ECC’s Chair, Jack Passaris OAM; the Executive Officer, Mark Franklin (former AuSAE National President); to the project officers involved with the water and energy saving projects, Helen Scott and Joyce Fu; and to the Chinese speaking educator Elsa Cheung.

“The Green Globe Awards honour organisations that put sustainability and environmental management at the forefront of their operations,” Minister Tebbutt said.

The Ethnic Communities Council of NSW has been actively promoting sustainable living to the community for over a decade and to business since 2005. They have also prepared an Action Plan for Sustainability for staff and we are monitoring our achievements. Our efforts earned us the Premiers Green Globe Award this year in competition with big business.

The NSW ECC has been actively promoting sustainable living since 1997. ECC has been working collaboratively with a range of different ethnic community groups and individuals to ensure appropriate education opportunities for a large proportion of the NSW Community.

With more than 20 per cent of the NSW population speaking a language other than English, and in some areas this figure exceeding 67 per cent, it is important when working toward sustainability to involve culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Starting in 1997 with a waste education program for six language groups, ECC’s sustainability programs have expanded to include:

• Ethnic Communities Sustainable Living project – working with trained bilingual educators to deliver sustainability education workshops and education opportunities for 8 language groups, primarily within Sydney and Wollongong.
• Operation Blue Tongue – fostering environmental citizenship and biodiversity awareness for new and recently arrived migrants.
• Saving Water in Asian Restaurants (the Waterless Wok program) – reducing the use of potable water in Asian restaurants in Sydney and Wollongong.
• Asian Dry Cleaner Electricity Saving – facilitating the reduction of electricity use in Asian dry cleaning agencies in Sydney.
• Water for Life project – encouraging members of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities to adopt water conservation behaviours and implement practical changes to save water in their homes.
• Ethnic Communities Bin Butts project – aiming at changing the behaviour of cigarette smokers from CALD communities in the City of Sydney to reduce the impact of butt littering.
• Why Waste World Square project – working with residents in World Tower, the largest residential building in Sydney, to reduce waste and increase recycling.