Entries called for 8th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Environmental Award

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Participants at the briefing session for the 8th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Environmental Award.

MIRI: The state Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) is calling interested entries for its 8th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Environmental Award (CMEA) 2017/2018.

Its Controller of Environmental Quality Peter Sawal said the CMEA is a prestigious award jointly organised with Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) in collaboration with various ministries and agencies in the state.

Speaking at a briefing session on the event here yesterday, Peter said the event aims to recognise the environmental effort and commitment of industries, local authorities and individuals who demonstrate exemplary stewardship towards environmental protection.

He added the winners of the award would be widely recognised by the public as role models in business and industry environmental performance and excellence, as well as models for environmental conservation and practices.

According to him, the briefing session was to enlighten potential participants on the award’s criteria and to enhance their understanding on the format and how to prepare self-evaluated environmental performance reports.

This year’s theme is ‘Nurturing Environmental Stewardship’, which serves as continuum of the previous theme of ‘Environmental Stewardship Begins with Me”.

“The theme for this year touches on the need to instil efforts by each and every individual and organisation to uphold their duty and responsibility to protect and preserve our environment.

“It also means that everyone has to start practising and applying stewardship toward the environment, whilst environmental stewardship itself continues to refer to protecting the environment through recycling, conservation, regeneration and restoration.

“The duty and responsibility for preserving environmental quality as such should be weighed upon all of us whose actions affect the environment.”

Peter further explained the award is divided into various categories of Industries, Local Authority Sector, Individuals (Individual & Journalists) and Eateries.

He said there are sub-categories under Industries such as Large Enterprise, Medium Industries and Small Industries.

On the prizes, the champion of the CMEA will walk away with a trophy and certificate of participation, while the gold award winner will receive a plaque and certificate.

In addition, the winner also will be given a 50 per cent discount for course fees for one environmental protection or awareness programme organised by NREB.

The course fee discount is for three persons and is valid for a year following the award.

Winners are also allowed to use the award’s logo for publicity purposes and recognition would be given as an exemplary organisation committed to environmental protection initiatives.

More than 100 participants from various representatives attended the briefing.