At the second annual Climate Change Leadership Award (CCLA) ceremony, an initiative of Lead SA, Avis Rent a Car was acclaimed winner of the Corporate Services category. Avis was recognised for extending its sustainability initiatives beyond carbon offsetting to include a holistic and innovative approach towards reducing the company’s negative impact on the environment – from improved water use and energy reduction to integrated waste management.

“We are extremely proud of this award, which recognises our pre-eminence in the industry as we develop our green journey,” says Avis’ chief executive, Wayne Duvenage. “It is especially significant, not only because of the number of high-calibre competitors that entered these awards, but because it is a demonstration that in throughout our operation, we truly try harder, and consequently achieve more.

“The Award is a tribute to every member of Avis, from management to employees, who have embraced our green philosophy and have participated wholeheartedly in our green journey, from understanding the issues related to water use reduction, global warming, conserving energy and waste recycling.

“An extremely valuable spin-off of these green initiatives is that we have gained remarkable new insights into our operations and have been able to reduce waste and increase efficiencies substantially. It is a journey we urge all business to embark on, not only for the sake of our environment, but for the benefit of their own performance, productivity and savings.”