Forico’s Sustainability Manager Simon Cook with the Banksia Award.
Forico, Tasmania’s largest private forest manager, has won a major accolade at the annual Banksia Foundation National Sustainability Awards. Source: Timberbiz
Forico was awarded the ‘Small and Medium Enterprise Sustainable Leadership Award’, held at a gala dinner in the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on 23 March.
The award category recognises businesses who can showcase outstanding achievements that integrate sustainability principles and practices across business activities and outcomes.
Established 34 years ago, the Banksia National Sustainability Awards recognise individuals, communities and businesses for their innovation and excellence in environmental and social stewardship.
The purpose of the awards is to ensure that sustainability is well recognised and celebrated across Australia.
The 34th National Banksia Sustainability Awards consisted of 15 award categories.
Winners in 2023 were drawn from a record number of entries.
“These are Australia’s brightest leaders, changemakers and innovators who are making a positive impact on the world,” Banksia Foundation CEO Graz Van Egmond said,
Entrants in the category had to demonstrate:
- that sustainability is at the core of the business’ activities
- benchmarks have been used for implementing sustainable solutions
- positive and negative impacts of the business are transparently reported
- there is strong alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- that sustainability leadership is promoted.
Forico and Sustainability Forico’s commitment to the three sustainable forest management principles of prosperity, planet and people is demonstrated through alignment with both internationally recognised sustainable forest management standards and the UN SDGs.
Forico responsibly manages plantations for wood fibre production and natural forests for conservation and biodiversity values.
Additionally, Forico engages positively with a broad range of stakeholders including the Tasmanian Aboriginal community where they have developed a Reconciliation Action Plan.
Forico has also been widely recognised as having set a benchmark for business and industry in environmental stewardship and corporate sustainability reporting, releasing its world-leading Natural Capital Reports in 2020 and 2021, a first in Australia.
the latest 2022 Natural Capital Report will be published shortly.
“We are very excited at being recognised on the national stage,” Simon Cook, Forico’s Sustainability Manager said.
“The production of sustainable forest products and providing nature-based solutions will help mitigate climate change, biodiversity loss and lead the transition to a circular economy.
“This award is testimony to the passion we all share at Forico to be part of the solution towards a truly sustainable and nature positive future, and Tasmania’s future.”
