TORONTO, ON - December 15, 2014 /CNW/ - Scotiabank is looking for businesses, innovators and students with a unique approach to realizing home energy efficiency for the Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards.

"The winners of the Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards stand at the forefront of residential energy conservation in Canada," said Kaz Flinn, Scotiabank's Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility. "As Canadians brace for another cold winter, home energy conservation becomes a top priority. If you have an idea or a prototype of a product or service that helps Canadians make greener choices for their homes, reduce their energy bills, and save money while reducing their impact on climate change, we want to hear from you!"

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards recognize winners in three categories:

• Scotiabank EcoLiving Business Leadership Award ($50,000) recognizes a business providing eco-friendly products or services for the residential sector.
• Scotiabank EcoLiving Innovation Award ($15,000) recognizes a prototype or recently launched eco-friendly product or service for the residential sector.
• Scotiabank EcoLiving Student Leadership Award ($10,000) recognizes Canadian post-secondary students with an innovative concept or prototype for energy conservation or renewable energy generation for the residential sector.

Winners are selected by an independent judging panel, which in 2015 includes:

• Valérie Bécaert, Executive Director, CIRAIG
• John Godden, Principal at Clearsphere
• Shawn McCarthy, Global Energy Reporter, The Globe and Mail
• John Roberts, Vice President, Small Business, Canadian Banking
• Ed Johnston, Vice President, Enterprise Sustainability, Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited.

Winners will be recognized at the Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards Gala hosted by Arlene Dickinson in June. With $75,000 in prize money, these national awards are one of the most prestigious prizes of their kind.

Nominations for the three award categories of the 2015 Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards are now being accepted at ecoliving.scotiabank.com/awards until March 31, 2015.

More information about the awards, including submission forms, key dates, eligibility, judging criterion, are available on Scotiabank's EcoLiving website, ecoliving.scotiabank.com/awards.

About Scotiabank EcoLiving
Scotiabank EcoLiving, which launched in 2010, is a unique program focused on educating Canadians on the shared benefits of home energy efficiency and green home improvements. With its emphasis on demonstrating how people can save money by saving energy, and at the same time reduce their impact on climate change, Scotiabank's EcoLiving program communicates the advantages of energy efficiency and sustainable practices. The EcoLiving website includes a Home Energy Savings Calculator which allows users to plan and finance their projects and see the savings that can result from environmentally friendly renovations, as well as estimate their carbon emissions reduction. As energy prices continue to increase and residential energy efficiency continues to be a factor in renovation trends, Scotiabank EcoLiving is a resource that provides users with the tools to make informed decisions.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank. Through our team of more than 86,000 employees, Scotiabank and its affiliates offer a broad range of products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management, corporate and investment banking to over 21 million customers. With assets of $792 billion (as at July 31, 2014), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York (NYSE: BNS) Exchanges. Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using CNW. For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com.