European Business Awards for the Environment
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PRESS DOSSIER 2006 European Business Awards for the Environment organised by the European Commission - Directorate General for Environment http://ec.europa.eu/comm/environment/business_awards 1. Introduction The European Business Awards for the Environment are awarded by the European Commission, Directorate General for Environment, every two years and aim to recognise and reward European companies which set an example by successfully bringing together innovation, economic viability and environmental concerns. The scheme comprises four award categories in which companies are rewarded for management practices, products, processes or international co-operation activities which contribute to economic and social development without detriment to the environment. To be eligible for competition in the European Business Awards for the Environment, companies first have to succeed in the national award schemes which are organised throughout Europe every year. This means that the companies awarded the European prize are ‘the best of the best’; the most far-sighted, responsible and innovative across Europe. Participation is open to companies from all EU member states and the candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The submission of entries to the European level awards competition is managed by national coordinating bodies. A list of all national coordinators is provided in section 7 of the press dossier (page 15-18). 2. 2006 Nominees The companies listed below were selected by the jury as nominees for the 2006 European Business Awards for the Environment. The winners of the 2006 European Business Awards for the Environment will be announced at the Award Ceremony for Green Week on 1 June 2006 in Brussels. Further details on each of the four award categories are presented in section 5 below Category 1: Management Award Rewarding companies for strategic visions and management systems which enable them to continuously improve their contribution to sustainable development. Company: Aceria Compacta de Bizkaia SA - SPAIN Project title: ACB Integrated management system Description: ACB is a steelmaking company, part of the Arcelor Group, using advanced technology and a qualified work force. As a means to obtain maximum quality in products and services with minimum hazards to workers and minimum environmental impact, ACB decided to combine and integrate three management systems in its daily activities. 2 Jury verdict: The jury recognised in particular that this company has, unlike most competitors, both ISO 14001 certification and EMAS registration. The company demonstrates achievements and further plans within their environmental management statement. The company has adopted particularly innovative measures such as the installation of monitoring surveillance systems with a particular focus on gathering environmental pollution information. The company is strongly committed to the local environment and has provided environmental awareness and training for employees. Contact: Inaki López Biain: [email protected] URL: www.arcelor.com Company: Sotral S.p.A. - ITALY Project title: Management for Eco-efficiency in Public Catering Description: Sotral S.p.A. is a company specialized in logistic and environmental services applied to public catering. To develop, Sotral uses an approach that combines science, engineering and communication skills with a management model marked by “Life Cycle Thinking”. Jury verdict: The jury particularly appreciated that this SME, employing 18 persons, has introduced an environmental approach in the sector of catering logistics services. The company has improved transport and waste-management by the caterers and raised environmental awareness concerning the products and meals. The environmental dedication of the company is certified by ISO 14001 and furthermore it has the social responsibility certification SA 8000. The company uses innovative environmental performance indicators (e.g. amount per kg meal transported) to optimize its processes (methane fuelled vehicles, waste minimization, energy savings). As a result, the company has achieved excellent financial results, excellent environmental performance and established itself as a good corporate citizen. Contact: Isabelle Lacourt: [email protected] URL: www.sotral.it Company: GE Hungary Ltd Light Source Factory Nagykanizsa – HUNGARY Project title: In the forefront of the world market with environmental awareness company management system Description: Programmes such as ECOMAGINATION is GE Hungary’s commitment towards the environment. It enables the company not to endanger its close environment and the proactive environmental awareness ensures that the plant lives in unity with its environment in the long run. 3 Jury verdict: The jury acknowledges that this multi-national company has introduced and implemented for the last 15 years an exemplary environmental performance at its Hungarian plant. General Electric Hungary Ltd. is a light-source factory and a member of the GE-consumer and industrial business group, employing 4200 persons. The site is certified under ISO 14001 and has published an environmental statement. The company demonstrates, with a long list of environmental projects and investments in environmental protection, its sustainability, setting goals and objectives and achieving big improvements of its performance indicators. GE Light Hungary is heavily investing in environmental, health and safety issues, local employee health plans and noise-reduction programmes for the neighbours. Contact: Ildikó Felde: [email protected] URL: www.gelighting.com/na Category 2: Product Award Rewarding companies for the development of a new product or service that makes an outstanding contribution to sustainable development Company: VA Tech Hydro GmbH & Co – AUSTRIA Project title: HYDROMATRIX® Power Plant Nußdorf Description: HYDROMATRIX® is an innovative and environment-friendly concept for renewable hydropower generation. Existing weirs and dams are used for this concept to generate electricity by using previously unknown and untapped hydropower potentials. Jury verdict: The jury especially recognised the fact that this renewable energy installation uses tailor-made hydro turbine/generators that can be installed in existing weirs and dams and does not require any alteration in the environment or landscape. The existing infrastructure can be used and there is a huge potential to isolated communities. There is a potential of some thousand applications worldwide. Contact: Harald Schmidt: [email protected] URL: www.vatech-hydro.at Company: Windsave Ltd – UNITED KINGDOM Project title: Windsave Plug’n’Save wind turbine Description: The System is the first worldwide low-cost product which delivers electricity directly into the ring main of homes, offices etc. merely by plugging the supply 4 into the wall socket. The System uses wind speed to create ‘green’ electricity via the Plug'n'Save™ box, the unique invention which allows reducing the consumption and cost of electricity from the Grid and displaces CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel generation. Jury verdict: The jury appreciates the compact integrated solution and relationship with other technologies. These windmills are manufactured from recycled materials with a long life cycle and are designed for individual houses and offices. The excess of electricity generated can be fed into the electricity grid. There is a high potential for decentralised small scale applications. In contradiction to the general development, which goes more and more into large windmills – with more and more resistance - these windmills are affordable and have a noise level below ambient levels. Contact: Graham Reed: [email protected] URL: www.windsave.com Company: DTS OABE SL - SPAIN Project title: Nupilac hidro, water based, lacquer applied insecticide Description: DTS OABE has developed an environmentally friendly insecticide lacquer for use in urban pest control that is free of organic solvents, and safe for both users and individuals coming into contact with it after application. The product is currently sold on domestic markets and an international marketing plan is foreseen. Jury verdict: The jury recognises the innovative aspect of this insecticide applied in a lacquer, which limits any cross-pollution, is not damaging to human health, requires five times less insecticide, with no emissions of VOC’s and with long-term efficiency. There is a vast replication potential in particular in low toxicity environments like schools, hospitals and catering establishments. Contact: Tomás Fernandez Mentxaka: [email protected] URL: www.dts-oabe.com Category 3: Process Award Rewarding companies for the development and application of a new production technology that makes an outstanding contribution to sustainable development. Company: Fortum Power and Heat Oy – FINLAND Project title: Cleaner air through advanced burner design for large combustion plants 5 Description: Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are a significant air pollutant. By optimizing the design of the burner in the power plant, Fortum has developed a cost efficient combustion technology for NOx reduction in large combustion plants. Jury verdict: The jury emphasized that the process contributes directly to the alleviation of climate change. This (and similar) technologies can be used widely in facilities burning solid fuel (coal) in the EU and in other parts of the world. The jury acknowledged that the abatement of NOx emission as end-of-pipe technology is expensive and