Yealands Family Wines take the top prize at the 2014 NZI National

MEDIA RELEASE
18 November 2014
Yealands Family Wines take the top prize at the 2014 NZI National Sustainable
Business Network Awards
Yealands Family Wines (YFW) have been named the overall winner of the NZI National
Sustainable Business Network Awards held at Shed 10 on Auckland’s waterfront on 18
November.
The NZI Sustainable Business Network (SBN) Awards are New Zealand’s longest-standing
and pre-eminent sustainability awards. The awards are now in their 12th year and are
designed to recognise businesses that are making a real difference by innovating New
Zealand’s business landscape.
“SBN focuses on four strengths that encapsulate the future direction of our economy. These
are areas New Zealand has a natural advantage in and include renewables, massive
resource efficiency, community and restorative,” says Rachel Brown, Sustainable Business
Network Chief Executive.
“The Awards recognise the impact and innovation organisations are making in each of these
transformation areas, in addition to awards for Communicating Sustainability and a
Sustainability Champion.”
Yealands Family Wines won the Restorative Impact Award as well as the ‘Greatest
Contribution to a Sustainable New Zealand’ (supreme award) through their continued vision
to lead the world in sustainable wine production. YFW believe that sustainability has no end
point and the company is committed to dynamic innovation to reduce its environmental
footprint, with initiatives directly targeting underlying energy efficiency and regeneration,
diesel emissions, sustained vine nutrition and recyclable packaging.
Rachel says “Yealands Family Wines stood out to the judges because it innovates well
across the entire business. It drives best practice, has consistent sustainability performance
across all its operations and represents New Zealand well internationally”.
The judges said that the strength of Yealands’ commitment throughout everything they do
puts them as a standout. “We know that they will continue to push the envelope on what is
possible in sustainable wine making and we encourage them to continue their journey.”
The full results of winners for the 2014 National Sustainable Business Network Awards are:
Sustainability Champion Award
Sponsored by Element Magazine
Joint winners:
Julia Milne, the Common Unity Project Aotearoa
Malcolm Rands, ecostore Company Ltd
Communicating Sustainability Award
Sponsored by Convergence Communications
Winner – Generation Zero
Community Innovation Award
Winner – Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre
Community Impact Award
Sponsored by University of Waikato Management School
Winner – AgriSea NZ Seaweed Ltd
Commendation - Headlands
Mega efficiency Innovation Award
Sponsored by Ricoh New Zealand
Winner – ecostore Company Ltd
Mega efficiency Impact Award
Sponsored by Auckland Council
Winner – Econergy Limited
Commendation - Wellington Drive Technologies Ltd
Renewables Innovation Award
Winner – Wellington City Council
Renewables Impact Award
Winner – Sunergise International
Restorative Innovation Award
No winner awarded
Commendation - Nancy Glen II
Restorative Impact Award
Winner – Yealands Family Wines
Energy Management Award
Sponsored by EECA Business
Winner – Lion
Commendation - Foodstuffs NZ
NZI Greatest Contribution to a Sustainable New Zealand (Supreme Award)
Winner – Yealands Family Wines
-ENDSContact:
Fiona Stephenson
National Communications Manager – Sustainable Business Network
021 233 1053, fiona@sustainable.org.nz
About the Sustainable Business Network
The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) provides advice and support to help business
succeed through becoming more sustainable. As the largest organisation of businesses
dedicated to sustainability in New Zealand, the SBN actively helps our network of
progressive companies to: collaborate with other innovators and learn; profile stories and
connect; and access practical support.
www.sustainable.org.nz
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