Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere’s initiative to support and promote sustainable enterprise has opened again for applications, the second and final opportunity in 2022.
Now well into its fourth year, the Biosphere Certification Mark is awarded to businesses located within the Biosphere region that can demonstrate they are actively working to become more sustainable by supporting the environment, economy and communities of the Biosphere region.
The designation ‘UNESCO Biosphere’ is currently the only internationally recognised badge for sustainability and Galloway and Southern Ayrshire has held this status since 2012. Awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the designation denotes a special natural and cultural heritage that has value beyond the Biosphere’s own geographical boundary, and recognises the array of local opportunities for learning, research, and economic development.
Businesses that achieve the Biosphere Certification Mark benefit from association with UNESCO’s global brand, including through promotion on Scotland’s UNESCO Trail, a unique collaboration thirteen place-based UNESCO designations nationwide. The Biosphere’s wide-ranging partnerships and initiatives such as the certification mark scheme contributed to the organisation reaching the regional finals of VisitScotland’s Scottish Thistle Awards this year in the category ‘Working Together for Tourism’.
Marie McNulty, the Biosphere’s Business Development lead, says, “The Biosphere Certification Mark launched in 2018 and since then we have made over forty awards across multiple business sectors, ranging in size from sole traders to companies with a UK-wide scope. Certification is all about spotlighting the passion that business owners have for our region, and recognising the hard work that’s already underway to safeguard this beautiful part of the world and build a better future for the people who live and work here.”
The Biosphere’s business team are hosting two online information sessions on 23rd & 26th September for anyone who wants to find out more about applying for certification, to be followed on 19th October by a Green Stories webinar to learn more about why Biosphere is ‘Good For Business’. To sign up to either event please email [email protected]. More information about Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere is available at www.gsabiosphere.org.uk.
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