SANRAL is the proud sponsor of the Transport category of the Eco-Logic Awards. These awards identify individuals, organisations and communities who contribute positively towards a sustainable world and encourage consumers to purchase their products and services.

The awards were established by The Enviropaedia, a South African environmental encyclopaedia and networking platform that promotes social and environmental sustainability, in 2011. Since they were launched, the Eco-Logic Awards have grown into South Africa’s most glamorously green eco-calendar event, receiving coverage on TV, radio, print media and online.

Every year, the public nominates its eco-champions in 13 categories, highlighting how they contribute to an “Eco-Logically” sustainable society and environment. A team of highly respected, environmentally aware individuals then judge all the entries using the same seven criteria that are the roots of Eco-Logic and select finalists in each category.

The finalists are invited to join an

exclusive group of Green VIPs and thought leaders at the Eco-Logic Awards event, which took place this year on the evening of 14 June at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria.

Attendees could choose between two fun dress codes – either “Glamourously Green” or “Come as your Environmental Alter-Ego”.

The Transport Award is given to a product or service that reduces negative environmental impacts in the transport sector. This year, the award was bestowed upon Bicycles and Beyond (BAB). This organisation was founded in 2015 by Janine Johnson and Beverley Roode, with the aim of empowering women and youth through cycling. The team educates people about cycling as an everyday mode of transport and as a “vehicle” for employment opportunities. Women and youth are trained in cycling safety, competence and basic mechanics, so that they can fix their own bicycles and those of other people in the community.

BAB hosts women’s cycling events, bicycle tours, spin classes and ghost rides. They also organise school holiday programmes to keep vulnerable youth busy when they are not at school. These will be expanded to boot camps in which youth are taken on excursions and equipped with life skills through teambuilding exercises.

SANRAL believes that recognising efforts in this area is vitally important. We believe that minimising the impact of necessary industries should be a priority for all businesses and we constantly strive to preserve the natural systems we build in.

Publishing editor of The Enviropaedia David Parry-Davies said: “Road transport has a huge impact on the state of our environment, in terms of emissions contributing to climate change, and also massive loss of our precious wildlife

through road kill. We are therefore delighted that SANRAL is taking these matters so seriously – and supporting those who are seeking solutions to these challenges – by sponsoring the Eco-Logic Transport Award. Thank you, SANRAL, your actions may not always be popular, but this is a very good thing that you are doing.”