5th June 2005
BioRegional wins International Banksia Award

The BioRegional Development Group, is this year’s winner of the prestigious International Award from the Banksia Environmental Foundation, Australia. The award is in recognition of BioRegional’s visionary work on developing cost effective solutions to sustainable living which reduce our global ecological footprint.

Founded by Pooran Desai and Sue Riddlestone, BioRegional began back in 1992. They reasoned that “if we could efficiently produce more of our goods from local resources, especially waste and renewable resources, then we could reduce the impact of the goods and services we use. We want people to enjoy a high quality of life within the carrying capacity of one planet.”

BioRegional’s most well known project is BedZED - Beddington Zero (fossil) Energy Development - the UK’s largest eco-village. BedZED was developed by Peabody Trust in partnership with BioRegional and designed by Bill Dunster Architects. Over 270 people live and work at BedZED where it is designed to be easy for residents to save energy and water in the home, reduce their car use and grow or buy local, organic vegetables. BioRegional’s offices are based at BedZED and include a Visitor Centre which has welcomed and inspired thousands of visitors from around the world including Government Ministers from Australia.

The BioRegional approach is to produce more of what we need locally using renewable or waste resources, reducing transport and increasing resource efficiency – this is embodied in other BioRegional projects including:
• Local paper loop – 1,000 organisations are recycling and buying back local recycled office paper, reducing their paper footprint by 86%. BioRegional also developed the MiniMill, new technology to make paper cost-effectively from straw.
• Local charcoal – BioRegional set up and run a network of local forest producers to supply wood products on a local basis to national retailers.
• Hemp textiles – developing hemp as a low impact textile alternative.
• Local lavender production on disused land - a historic local industry has been revived.

BioRegional are now working in partnership with WWF on an international programme called One Planet Living. The team will work with local partners in Australia, Portugal, UK, China, the Americas and South Africa
to build a global network of Sustainable Communities which will show that all around the world it is possible for people to live a high quality life within their fair share of the Earth’s resources. The first community is already underway in Portugal. The Mata de Sesimbra eco-tourism project, by developer Pelicano, will create the world’s first-ever integrated sustainable building, tourism, nature conservation and reforestation programme. Plans are well advanced for Z-squared, a 2,000 home community in London and the team have met with potential partners in China, South Africa and Australia.

BioRegional have partnered with WWF UK to extend the concept into the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid, providing a unique basis for achieving the first sustainable Games, and a platform to promote and demonstrate sustainability to a global audience under the One Planet Olympics banner.

The Banksia Environmental Foundation, founded in 1989, is a national not-for-profit organisation that promotes environmental excellence and sustainability by staging each year Australia's best known and most prestigious environmental award program, the Banksia Awards.

The strength of the Banksia Awards is underpinned by a judging system that is rigorous, independent and fair. A group of 80 judges volunteer their expertise and time. The Banksia Environmental Foundation's chief patron is the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Mr John Howard MP.

Sue Riddlestone received the International Award on behalf of BioRegional at an official reception in Adelaide on Friday 3 June, she said:
"I am delighted and honoured that BioRegional's work has been recognised by the Banksia Environmental Foundation. In the light of growing concerns at the pace of climate change, species and habitat loss and global inequity, we need to redouble our efforts towards a truly sustainable future in every aspect of our lives,".