Beacon Pathway is the sponsor of the Sustainable Design and Innovation Category.

"Beacon has just celebrated its fourth year of research and our team continues to strive towards achieving our key goal - a high standard of sustainability for 90 percent of New Zealand's homes by 2012.

This ambitious, at times seemingly unreachable, goal emphasises that we are not going to address the challenges of future resource availability, climate change, and population growth with a business as usual, incremental approach. The good news? Research tells us we already have most of the technology required to achieve our objectives. The remaining challenge? Getting key participants to work together in support of a common goal. Beacon's research and demonstration through our new build and renovation projects provides industry and consumers with robust science-based solutions for homes to achieve a high standard of sustainability.

Highlights for us during the past 12 months include producing a National Value Case for Sustainable Housing - targeting central government and quantifying the substantial benefits to the nation of more sustainable homes.

Our water team has been working with Ministry for Environment, Local Government New Zealand and the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association to develop tool kits and policies for local government to adopt water demand management practices.

Our Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and tools are being trialled by developers and councils.

Beacon continues to make most of our research available in the public domain through newsletters, research reports, and research symposiums. Our current renovation project -HomeSmart Renovations - provides all New Zealanders an opportunity to take part in a research project to improve their own home - visit www.beaconpathway.co.nz for more information.

The Government has taken some encouraging steps. Its Govt3 purchasing initiative is one example; the 2008 New Zealand Energy Strategy, which set a target for 90 percent of electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2025, is another. Encouraging as these initiatives may be, they need to be supported by strong policy frameworks and clear signals to government agencies, local government, industry and consumers to ensure that we all accept responsibility for the contribution we can make, and that we align our efforts and work together to create more sustainable ways of living.

The SBN national awards are about recognising, identifying, encouraging, and rewarding those people and organisations who are moving beyond the incremental, and seeking to deliver radical improvements to our way of life. It's a way of working we at Beacon identify with closely, and one we are proud to continue to support."

Nick Collins, General Manager of Beacon Pathway