Ministry of Defence Sanctuary Awards

34th33rd Sanctuary Awards 20252023

The Ministry of Defence’s 33rd annual Sanctuary Awards 2023 took place on Tuesday 19 March 2024 and is available to watch in full on YouTube.

Overview

The Sanctuary Awards have been recognising outstanding conservation and sustainability efforts across the MOD estate since 1991.

The awardsAwards celebrate and encourage group and individual efforts that benefit sustainable development, environmental and heritage conservation, utilities and resource-savingresource saving measures, sustainable construction and procurement or community awareness on land or property that the MOD owns or uses in the UK and overseas.

Sanctuary magazine celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, so we are pausing delivery of the Sanctuary programme will be paused to develop content for this special edition.

The 34th Sanctuary Awards nominationsnomination openprocess onwill 18launch Novemberin 2024Autumn at2024, 9am and closeif on 24 January 2025 at 5pm. If you wish to be added to the calling notice, please email dio-sanctuary@mod.gov.uk.

34th Sanctuary Awards -2024 2024/25 categoriesCategories

Entries

When nominations open, entries will be sought for the following categories:

• ClimateEnvironmental ChangeEnhancement Resilience Award (new) - projects or activities focused on takingwildlife actionand tobiodiversity, enhanceenvironmental climateresearch, resilienceor throughtackling mitigationpollution orand adaption.contamination issues.

• EarlyHeritage Career Award (new) -- forprojects individualsfocused inon thearchaeology, firsthistoric 5buildings, yearshistoric ofparks theirand sustainabilitygardens, orhistoric conservationlandscape careerpreservation, whomuseum havecollections, madeheritage aeducation significantand personalpublic contribution to MOD sustainability or conservation.engagement.

• EnvironmentalNet EnhancementZero and Resource Efficiency Award - - projects focusedthat oncontribute wildlifeto andthe biodiversity,MOD’s environmentalNet research,Zero Carbon ambition, reduce energy, water or tacklingresource pollutionconsumption, andrenewable contaminationenergy issues.or recycling.

• Individual Achievement Award - - for those who have made a significant personal contribution to to MOD sustainability sustainability or conservation as a volunteer, volunteer, MOD employee employee or contractor.

• Heritage Award - projects focused on archaeology, historic buildings, historic parks and gardens, historic landscape preservation, museum collections, or heritage education and public engagement.

• NetClimate ZeroChange andResilience Resource Efficiency Award - - projects thator contributeactivities tofocused the MOD’son Nettaking Zeroaction Carbonto ambition,enhance reduceclimate energy,resilience waterthrough ormitigation resource consumption, renewable energy or recycling.adaption.

• Sustainable Delivery Award (new) - projects that deliver against a a MOD priority priority area, objective or commitment to improve or innovate the sustainability e.g. of equipment or services, management of supply chains or product life cycles, digitalisation, or new-buildnew build construction and refurbishment projects.

• Early Career Award - for individuals in the first 5 years of their sustainability or conservation career, who have made a significant personal contribution to MOD sustainability or conservation.

Winners from the above categories willwere be further considered for one of the following:

• Silver Otter TrophyTrophy: - awarded to the best Establishment, Conservation Group or community-led project or individual conservation effort on the MOD estate.

• Sustainable Business AwardAward: - awarded to the best large-scalelarger scale or commercial project which delivers sustainable solutions to enable the Armed Forces to live, work or train.

Placed nominations will be put forward for the:

• Innovation AwardAward: - judged by the Ministry of Defence Innovation DirectorateUnit, tothis highlightis aawarded projectto whichthose exemplifieswho have exemplified innovative behaviours,by ensureschampioning athe clearadoption driveof fornew sustainableideas, innovation,innovative enhancesways operationalof efficiencyworking and contributescontinuous toimprovement. environmentalThis resiliencemight withininclude thetaking defenceappropriate sector.

  risk and early termination of work where relevant.

Sanctuary Award judgingJudging

• Nominees are MOD personnel, conservation groups, industry partners or other MOD stakeholders including private companies, academic institutions, and non-profit organisations.stakeholders.
• Entries relate to MOD land, property, activities or equipment, either in the UK or overseas.
• Projects must be completed by 24 January 2025.
• If part of a multi-year project, at least 80% must be complete by 24 January 2025.

The judging panel useused an online portal to review all the long-listed nominations.nominations, including a range of unique projects from across defence. Each judge thenallocated allocates a maximum of 4030 points to each nominationnomination, before the panel meetmet in person to reach a group consensus.consensus on the winners and runners up.

The panel will also decidedecided which of the category winners would be taking home theour very special Silver Otter TrophyTrophy, and the coveted Sustainable Business Award.

Related content

• Sanctuary magazine
• Sustainability and Climate Change: MOD