Kyoorius, a not-for-profit initiative by Transasia Fine Papers, and D&AD headline a number of sustainable initiatives aimed at supporting the creative community in India.
In keeping with the Kyoorius ethos, the Kyoorius Advertising Awards are unlike any other awards in India, not only because of the rigorous judging standards, but also because entry fees are fed back into the industry. Kyoorius has galvanized the creative community in India since 2006, developing resources that can benefit creatives at all levels in their careers. Funds are used in developing the annual education programme, Kyoorius FYIdays, an initiative aimed at educating and stimulating creative professionals and students – India’s future creative superstars.
But it doesn’t stop there. In another first, Kyoorius Awards is pledged to be a 100% Carbon Neutral event, making it the first awards programme to do so in India, if not the world. 5000 trees have already been planted, with more on the way. And participants can contribute INR 500 towards planting 5 trees, thereby making their entry Carbon Neutral as well.
The audit measured carbon footprint of the event by identifying all sources of event-related greenhouse gas emissions. Major emission sources included travel to the host city, local road transportation, energy consumed by the event venue and energy used through stays at local hotels or homes. Smaller emission sources include transportation of goods the event needs, event organizer travel during planning and preparation, energy consumed by the event office, paper use and waste generation.
Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder CEO commented, “We are in the process of conducting an carbon emission audit of Designyatra and our other events and by August 2014 we will ensure that all Kyoorius Events and Awards will be carbon-neutral – a first in India and amongst the very few globally”
The Kyoorius Awards have been conceptualized in close partnership with D&AD, from defining the format and scope of the Advertising Awards, to the selection of judges and jury process. A mix of the top international, regional, and Indian creative minds have been selected to ensure that work is compared against industry best practices, while keeping the Indian context in mind.
The aim is to create a truly neutral and ethical platform that recognises the best of the advertising industry solely on the basis of merit. Unlike any other advertising awards, all jury members gather in India to review, discuss and elect the best of the best over an intensive three-day session. All voting is private, never by a show of hands.