Supply Chain Sustainability School (the “School”) has joined an exclusive group of companies in receiving Britain’s most coveted business prize; a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Launched in 2012, the School is an industry-wide collaboration of major companies to enable a sustainable built environment through knowledge and collaboration. The School is unique – it enables collaboration between competitor companies who share a common supply chain, and a realisation that the industry cannot develop the sustainable buildings and infrastructure society it needs without more sustainable suppliers. Its free online learning platform gives 50,000 registered users access to 3,000 learning resources, 400 virtual training sessions each year, and a range of diagnostic and benchmarking tools to support companies on focusing their sustainability strategies. The School has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development because its approach has delivered significant environmental, social and economic benefits to its Members and Partners. The School has led pioneering work to set new standards in climate change, modern slavery, social value, sustainable supply chain management and more. Ian Heptonstall, Director of Supply Chain Sustainability School said: “When we first floated the idea of an online sustainability learning platform for the built environment industry, we were told it was unlikely that competing companies would collaborate, nor would people use an online training platform. But most of all, that the supply chain were simply not interested in sustainability. “A decade on and 50,000 people have trained through the School – last year alone we had over 100,000 e-learning downloads. We’re thrilled to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. I see it as thank you to all those people who have joined us to collaborate and drive real sustainable change across our industry.” Co-funded by over 180 collaborating companies (Partners), the School is delivered by an independent third-party consultancy, Action Sustainability. Leadership is provided by a School Board comprising elected representatives of Partners, responsible for fiscal governance and strategic direction. A Code of Ethics is signed by all Partners as part of the School Constitution and Partners lead the direction of the School content and activities through leadership groups. Her Majesty The Queen personally approves the winners and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy publicly announced the winners on Thursday 21 April 2022. Now in its 56th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, only awarded for outstanding achievements, entitling winning businesses to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards Emblem for the next five years. Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair of Supply Chain Sustainability School said: “I was honoured by Her Majesty in 2013 with an OBE for services to sustainability and London 2012. This is different, it’s not about me, it’s for everybody involved in the School over the past 10 years and so, we dedicate this award to you! Thank you, all.” The School’s 10-year anniversary will take place on Tuesday 21 June 2022. Its vision is of a built environment industry where everyone has the skills and knowledge to deliver a sustainable future.
