The short list for the fourth annual Observer Ethical Awards, in association with Ecover, is announced today. Last year's awards saw Divine Chocolate scoop Ethical Business of the Year, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Celebrity Campaigner of the Year and Ken Livingstone Politician of the Year. Thousands of entries have now been whittled down to 33 shortlist nominees.
The entrants were judged by a combination of reader votes and by a celebrity panel that included; Jo Wood, Ben Okri, Rick Edwards and Deborah Meaden. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on Wednesday 3 June.
The Observer Ethical Awards are instrumental in bringing green issues to the forefront of consumer minds and making businesses reassess their attitudes towards sustainability. The awards recognise those who pioneer a sustainable future and identify products, ideas and companies that make ethical living possible.
Warren Evans
The Better Food Company
Bella and Fifi
Good Energy Shop
Riverford Organic Vegetables
Seasalt
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall
Peter Tatchell
Jamie Oliver
Vince Cable
Caroline Lucas
David Cameron
Lower Shaw Farm
RISC Edible Roof Garden
Alternative Kitchen Garden
Nature Paint
RSA
Shiply.com
Queen Elizabeth II High School, Ronague, Isle of Man
Lomeshaye Marsh Local Natural Reserve, Burnley
Stockbridge Junior Rangers, Liverpool
Traidcraft
Riverford Organic Vegetables
Pants to Poverty
Fighting to Save West Thurrock Marshes
Garden Africa
Make the link with your Sink
John Stewart
Georgina Downs
Rob Hopkin
Nudie Jeans
People Tree
Pachacuti
Judging took place at Kings Place, London, on Tuesday 21st
April. The panel included:
Clare Allman, Marketing Manager, Ecover; Michael Bremans, Managing
Director, Ecover; Jamie Catto, Musician; Rick Edwards, T4 Presenter;
Livia Giuggioli, Film Producer and Owner of Eco – Age; John
Grant, Author of the Green Marketing Manifesto; Rob Holdway, Director,
Giraffe Innovation; Emma Howard Boyd, Jupiter Asset Management;
Allan Jenkins, Editor of The Observer Magazine; Ken Livingstone,
Former Mayor of London; Deborah Meaden, Star of Dragons Den; Ben
Okri, Poet and Novelist; Dan Pearson, Gardening Correspondent,
The Observer; Steve Punt, Comedian; Lucy Siegle, The Observer
Ethical living Correspondent and Chair of Panel; Whitni Thomas,
Investment Manager, Triodos Bank; Dilys Williams, Director of
Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion; Jo Wood,
Founder of Jo Wood Organics.
The winners of each category will receive a hamper from Ecover and a specially designed trophy. The winner of the Ecover ethical kids award will receive a grant of £2,000 per year for three years to carry out a sustainable project. The winner of the Jupiter big idea award will receive £2,000 from Jupiter to develop their idea. Two runners up will be awarded £500. The winner of the conservation project will receive £2,000 towards their work from National Grid and the Observer. The winner of the ethical garden category will receive £500 in vouchers from Hen & Hammock.
The shortlisted entrants in the big idea category will be offered a business mentoring session from Jupiter Asset Management and Triodos Bank. The shortlisted entrants in the ethical business category will be offered a business mentoring session from Jupiter Asset Management and Triodos Bank.
For more information on the Observer Ethical Awards visit: observer.co.uk/ethicalawards
-Ends-
Notes to editors
Warren Evans creates unique, handmade beds and bedroom furniture. The only bed maker in the UK to be certified by The Forest Stewardship Council. For more information visit: www.warrenevans.com
The Better Food Company work to make organic food available to all whilst supporting farmers and protecting the environment. For more information visit: www.betterfood.co.uk
Bella and Fifi are a Bristol based florist that specialise in offering exclusively local, organic and ethically grown flowers. For more information visit: www.bellafififlowers.co.uk
The Good Energy Shop is a website that marries carefully chosen suppliers under one roof. Each supplier is hand selected for their energy saving credentials making it less confusing for buyers to make the right choice. For more information visit: www.goodenergyshop.co.uk
Riverford Organic Vegetables mission is to organic, seasonal vegetables to your door. For more information visit: www.riverford.co.uk
Seasalt is an ethical clothing company based in Cornwall. For more information visit: www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk
Lower Shaw Farm is based Swindon and is an environmentally friendly place where adults and children can enjoy a range of activities all year around. For more information visit: www.lowershawfarm.co.uk
RISC Edible Roof Garden is located close to the centre of Reading, on a 200 square metre flat roof in Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC), a charity which raises awareness of global issues. For more information visit: www.risc.org.uk/garden/
The Alternative Kitchen Garden is an urban back garden in Oxfordshire and is devoted to growing edible plants. More information visit: www.coopette.com/akg
Nature Paint is a totally natural paint product. For more information visit: www.naturepaint.com
RSA (formerly known as Royal Sun Alliance) have created MORE TH>N Green Wheels Insurance to give our customers the opportunity to take responsibility for their carbon 'tyre-print'. For more information visit: www.morethan.com/Pages/Products/Car/GreenWheels_Home.aspx
Shiply.com is haulage companies already making similar journeys – cutting down on wasteful trips and reducing CO2 emissions.
Queen Elizabeth II High School have created a project that encourages its pupils to offset their carbon emissions from the school transport by planting trees, walking or cycling to school.
Lomeshaye Marsh Local Nature Reserve is a small nature reserve in Lancashire that is looked after and developed by a local special needs school – PCHS.
The Stockbridge Junior Rangers are a group of young people 8-14 years old from the Stockbridge Village estate in Knowlsey, Liverpool. The project encourages its young residents to look differently at the environment.
Traidcraft is a charity that tries to fight poverty through trade. For more information visit: www.traidcraft.co.uk
Pants to Poverty is an underwear brand that has a social conscience. For more information visit: www.Pantstopoverty.com
Riverford Organic Vegetables mission is to organic, seasonal vegetables to your door. For more information visit: www.riverford.co.uk
Fighting to Save West Thurrock Marshes is a charity devoted to the conservation of invertebrates. For more information visit: www.buglife.org.uk
Garden Africa aims to promote and enhance the relationship between communities and their environment, improving productivity, welfare and quality of life amongst the most vulnerable. For more information visit: www.gardenafrica.org.uk
Make the Link with your Sink is a project that tries to raise the awareness of what people put down their sinks.
Nudie Jeans is an eco fashion brand that creates jeans using only organic denim. For more information visit: www.nudiejeans.com
People Tree specialise in fair trade fashion in hope to alleviate poverty by focusing on Bangladesh workers. For more information: www.peopletree.co.uk
Pachacuti is the UK's only fair trade hat specialist working directly with women's co-operatives in Ecuador. For more information visit: www.pachacuti.co.uk
For more information contact:
Christine Crowther, Press Office, 020 3353 2219