Sustainable Quality Award Winners
Presented in alphabetical order. Click on a letter below for a listing of winners.
Award for Excellence in Stewardship of the Natural Environment, 2004
Natural Resources Defense Council (video)
SQA Grand Prize, 2016; SQA Grand Prize, 2010
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of more than 2 million members and online activists, with the expertise of nearly 500 lawyers, scientists and other professionals. The NRDC staff members regularly work with allies from incredibly diverse backgrounds all over the world to identify and address issues of environmental concern.
The NRDC Santa Monica offers tours of their USGBC LEED Platinum Certified office building. Since opening their doors in 2003, over 10,000 people have learned about their many green building features such as solar panels, greywater system, and architectural design maximizing natural light and airflow. The office achieves 60% water and 60% energy savings compared to a conventional building of the same size. Their office also includes an Environmental Action Center (EAC), which is open to the public.
The NRDC fosters a healthy and happy work environment with several employee wellness initiatives. In addition, the NRDC encourages and sometimes requires employees to take part in various internal retreat and training session designed to bring staff together to collaborate share information. and strength their organizational strategy. The NRDC Santa Monica office also coordinates an annual holiday charity drive to benefit their neighboring non-profit, Step Up on Second. Employees donate clothing, household items, and non-perishable food.
Sustainable Quality Award, 2004
New Directions, a local non-profit that has provided residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation and job training for homeless veterans in LA County since 1992. Its environmental actions include extensive recycling, environmentally sound purchasing policies, and the creation of a vegetable garden in cooperation with a fifth grade class that supplies produce for its culinary arts program. New Directions’ economic development and social responsibility actions include the use of local volunteers and interns, extensive health care packages, and the New Directions Choir, which is made up of volunteer alumni and promotes the recovery message by singing at local churches and community events.
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