The British Council has entered a unique partnership with one of the leading global experts in environmental management, to attract, encourage and assist young eco-entrepreneurs to develop successful climate change projects and businesses in seven countries throughout the Asia Pacific Region.
The agreement between the British Council and Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance [LRQA] will see both organisations jointly promoting and running E-idea, a new initiative designed to make ‘a real, practical contribution’ to the environmental future of the seven countries involved. LRQA will make a substantial financial contribution to the programme across all countries involved, marking one of the most significant corporate partnerships for the British Council to date.
Following the successful trial of similar initiatives in Australia and Japan during 2009 and 2010, E-idea will be rolled out across China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia in April, 2011, and will be officially launched in Australia in March, under its in-country moniker – Big Green Idea.
E-idea will give environmentally-conscious innovators aged 18-35 the training, support and capital needed to develop projects that will engage the widest audience and have the greatest possible positive effect on their communities.
Successful projects will receive seed funding grants as prizes to help address some of the biggest sustainability challenges urban communities face, such as waste reduction and efficiency, transport, energy efficiency and sustainable design.
In Japan, one winning E-idea involved the creation of ‘Funfam’, a new brand of sustainable bamboo tableware designed to offer an alternative to fossil-fuel derived products and make people aware of the benefits of renewable resources.
Tsuneyuki Fujioka of ‘Funfam’ said: “Winning the E-idea competition was really meaningful in terms of developing my project. The support from such famous and trustworthy organisations as the British Council and LRQA was really influential for my project and above my expectation. In addition to the mentoring and support from both organisations, recognition from winning the prize from the E-idea competition helped to raise the reputation of my project and secure additional funding. Also, being part of E-idea has given me many opportunities for promoting my project though the media such as the Eco Solutions programme on CNN. E-idea has been a real gateway for me to become a social entrepreneur.”
Huw Oliphant, British Council Project Manager for E-idea, said, “The British Council is delighted to be working in with LRQA on this project. Their expertise, and their positive and enthusiastic commitment to this project make them an ideal partner for us.
“This is one of our most significant corporate partnerships to date” Mr Oliphant added. “LRQA are leading experts in the environmental and climate change fields, and we are confident that this partnership will give real support to those young leaders who want to make a difference to their communities though their projects, and also be important in raising awareness of climate and sustainability issues on local, national and regional stages.”
Successful projects will receive seed funding grants as prizes to help address some of the biggest sustainability challenges urban communities face, such as waste reduction and efficiency, transport, energy efficiency and sustainable design.
The seven countries involved in E-idea will each host their own competition, awarding six prizes. E-idea winners will receive prize money that will go towards the development of their existing projects.
In addition to financial support, LRQA and the British Council will equip E-idea winners with leadership and project management skills, knowledge and awareness that will enable them to take the lead and drive forward their climate change projects. E-idea winners will also become part of the British Council’s Climate Generation network, giving them access to national and international training and networking opportunities.
Mr Oliphant said “The British Council’s networks and established partnerships in the UK and abroad provide access to expertise to support and shape the project. We also have a proven track record in working with young people across countries and cultures, which makes us ideally placed to engage and empower young people committed to finding solutions to climate change – in this case, the next generation of leaders in participating countries.”
Simon Batters, LRQA Project Director for E-idea Competition, said: “This is a major opportunity for LRQA as a responsible company to make a proactive, creative and dynamic contribution to climate change. We are contributing directly to society by supporting these young environmental leaders, and we are actually investing in the future by doing something tangible for the environment. By doing this, we are supporting innovation to mitigate the effects of climate change with real financial investment, and applying our climate change expertise in a proactive and creative way.”
“Both LRQA and the British Council are well established British institutions, with excellent reputations. We both enjoy great respect worldwide, and we believe there is a great synergy and shared values between our organisations.”
“The British Council itself is a high-quality brand, known for representing the contemporary and innovative aspects of the UK, and as such, LRQA are proud to be associated with them.”
Big Green Idea applications will be open in Australia in March, 2011 and E-idea applications will open across Asia from April, 2011.
For more information about Big Green Idea go to http://www.britishcouncil.org/au-big-green-idea.htm
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