NewsletterIssue # 16 – May 2012

The 20 environmental experts, jury of the 2012 EBAE edition

The winners of the 2012 European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE) will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony in Brussels on 24 May 2012. The high-profile event is set to take place during Green Week – the biggest annual conference on European environment policy. 14 far-sighted and eco-innovative companies have been nominated across the competition’s five award categories – Management, Process, Product, International Business Cooperation and Business and Biodiversity. Hosted by the European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik, the ceremony will recognise European companies that have achieved new levels of excellence in environmental performance.

This year’s competition attracted a record number of entries – 156 submissions from 24 European countries. The applications represent a range of business sectors, including telecommunications,

retail, eco-design, transport, food industry and construction. In terms of the companies themselves, while a number of large-scale organisations are participating in the competition, the majority of applications came from small and medium-sized enterprises and micro-enterprises.

The finalists for the 2012 EBAE were selected by a high-level jury chaired by Mr Claus Torp, Deputy Director-General at the Danish Ministry of the Environment. In March of this year, the panel of 20 environmental experts – representing European and national authorities, academia, the business community and the green technology sector – met in Copenhagen, Denmark, to select the nominees in each award category. The 14 candidates represent 9 EU countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Slovakia, Finland and the United Kingdom. The first day of the jury meeting was followed by an environmental boat tour within the harbour area.

“To prosper in a resource-constrained world, our economies must become more efficient in their use of natural resources. The European Business Awards for the Environment show that this is possible. They reward companies that are making the best possible use of resources throughout their life cycle to create as much economic value and as little environmental impact as possible.” said Commissioner Janez Potočnik who will host the 2012 EBAE Ceremony.

2012 EBAE competition nominees: Rewarding Excellence

The 2012 EBAE winners will be

announced during Green Week at an

awards ceremony on 24 May in the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels,

Belgium.

For more details, please visit:http://www.euconf.eu/ebae2012

Management category Company: SNCF, FranceThe implementation of sustainable procurement creates value: a global value for business, the environment, society and suppliers!Description: A major railway operator, SNCF employs 235,000 people in 120 countries around the world. The com-pany’s procurement department has implemented a new procurement procedure, which takes into account environmental and health protection as well as enhanced resource management. Jury comment: By incorporating sustainability into their purcha-sing systems, SNCF has developed a programme that considers cost, quality, and corporate social responsibility criteria. Furthermore, the company’s whole procurement organisation and processes have been brought into line with this new vision.www.sncf.fr

Company: Águas do Douro e Paiva S.A., PortugalAn integrated and sustainable management model for drinking water utilities.Description: A Portuguese regional water supplier, Águas do Douro e Paiva designs, constructs and manages systems for water catchment, treatment and distri-bution. Through its integrated management model the company addresses water quality and quantity challenges. Jury comment: Águas do Douro e Paiva has developed an integra-ted management system based on the principles of product quality, the prevention of environmental impacts and compensation of CO2 emissions. This business model can be replicated by other utility companies around the world.www.addp.pt

Company: Marks & Spencer, United KingdomMarks & Spencer Plan A - Doing the Right Thing.Description: A leading international retailer, Marks & Spencer has adopted an ambitious plan to reduce its resource impacts. Its strategy includes 180 commitments relating to green procurement, fair trade, waste management, biodiversity conservation, corporate social responsibility, carbon emissions reduction and energy efficiency. Jury comment: By successfully integrating the sustainable ma-nagement of resources into all of its operations and supply chains, M&S has presented an excel-lent example of sustainable and replicable retail practice.www.marksandspencer.com

Product categoryCompany: Aquamarine Power, United KingdomAquamarine Power’s Oyster wave energy technology.Description: Based in Scotland, the pioneering wave energy company Aquamarine Power has developed an in-novative hydro-electric near-shore device known as Oyster. The system, which captures wave energy and converts it into clean sustainable electricity, could also potentially be used for reverse osmosis desalination. Jury comment: A radically innovative way of harvesting a substan-tial natural renewable energy resource. This product could be implemented in coastal areas around the world and may provide low cost off-grid electricity for water desalination.www.aquamarinepower.com

Company: Ochsner Wärmepumpen GmbH, AustriaNew generation of air-source heatpumps.Description: The innovative heat pump manufacturer OCHSNER has developed a new high-efficiency split-evaporator for its air/water heat pumps, which improves efficiency, reduces consumption and lowers heating costs. Furthermore, the evaporator’s new ventilator technology reduces noise emissions. Jury comment: This is an important innovation to enhance heat pumps for use in the built environment. The perfor-mance of the product has been verified by an inde-pendent Swiss institution. Given its high replication potential, especially for refurbishment and retrofit applications, this product could have an enormous impact on energy efficiency.www.ochsner.com

Company: LichtBlick AG, GermanyGenerating ‘swarm power’ with intelligently controlled at home power plants.Description: LichtBlick AG, in close cooperation with Volkswagen AG, has developed a high-efficiency cogeneration unit, known as the “ZuhauseKraftwerk” (home power plant), that simultaneously produces heat and elec-tricity and increases energy efficiency. Jury comment: An excellent example of a smart cleantech appli-cation, this is a proven solution for decentralised electric power supply by micro-cogeneration plants with a high replication potential. This product can play an important role in balancing grid capacity and local heat demand. www.lichtblick.de

Process category Company: UMICORE, BelgiumRecycling of NiMH and Li-ion batteries; a sustainable new business.Description: Umicore has successfully implemented the world’s first recycling process for used Li-ion and NiMH batteries. The process enables metal recovery with the minimum amount of environmental impact. The project involves closed loop recycling of valuable elements such as cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earth elements.Jury comment: In line with the Raw Materials Initiative and Batte-ries Directive, this project facilitates the recycling of all types of Li-ion batteries together, without mechanical disassembling, thereby avoiding the re-lease of dusts and organics into the atmosphere. It also reduces the negative impacts on the environ-ment and health that occur when the batteries are landfilled. www.umicore.com

Company: Sener Ingeniería y Sistemas, SpainGemasolar, the Sun’s cathedral.Description: Gemasolar is the first commercial concentrated solar power plant with central tower receiver and molten salt storage technology. Solar power is used to melt a salt mixture at high temperatures and the resulting energy is either harnessed to gene-rate electricity or stored for later use. The plant’s storage system enables it to continue producing electricity for 15 hours without sunlight. Jury comment: The company’s use of salt as a high temperature storage medium, rather than for instance oil, is innovative and increases storage time. Moreover, the process successfully addresses both energy storage and renewable electricity generation.www.sener.es

Company: Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST), GermanyNarrow Strip Forming Laser Technology (SUL): A process technology innovation for manufacturing metal rings for dynamic seals in a sustainable way which conserves both resources and the environment.Description: The technology specialist Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) has developed an innovative sheet forming system, called narrow strip forming laser technology (SUL–Schmalband–Umform–La-serschweiß-Technologie), for manufacturing metal rings for dynamic seals. The new sustainable pro-cess is virtually waste-free, reduces material use by 73% and lowers CO2 emissions.

Jury comment: This is an innovative method of metal forming to manufacture radial shaft seals, which reduces material use and waste. A lean and flexible process involving more efficient and shorter product deve-lopment, it also works without any punch oil, so that no post-cleaning is required and other chemicals (solvents, surfactants) are saved.www.freudenberg.com

International business cooperation category Company: Inensus GmbH, GermanyMicroPowerEconomy–a Private Public Partnership model for comprehensive island-grid village elec-trification with renewable energy.Description: An innovative business and risk management model for electricity supply in off-grid villages of developing countries, “MicroPowerEconomy” aims to attract large scale private investments for renewable energy power supply components to be operated in island-grids. It brings two private partners, German company INENSUS GmbH and the Senegalese company MATFORCE CSI, together with public entities in Senegal.Jury comment: A truly innovative and proven cooperative business model, which will be replicated to provide off-grid micropower to other Senegalese villages. The use of renewable sources for energy production reduces greenhouse gas emissions and local pollution. www.inensus.com

Company: GreenStream Network plc, FinlandExpanding Climate Knowledge in China: A co-operative business approach.Description: The Finnish organisation GreenStream Network, in cooperation with the Beijing-based Juno Capital Group, has created a programme to develop green-house gas reduction projects throughout China. So far, their joint efforts have resulted in sixty projects with a combined CO2 emission reduction potential of 50 million tons per year.Jury comment: The proven partnership between GreenStream Network and Juno Capital Group has opened up the green business market in China, thereby stimulating more sustainable energy generation in the country. This project has a great replication potential within emerging economies, especially in countries with growing energy demands.www.greenstream.net

Management catagorySNCF

Management catagoryAgua Do Douro

Management catagoryMarks & Spencer

Process catagoryUMICORE

Process catagorySener Ingeniería y Sistemas

Process catagoryFreudenberg Sealing Technologies

Product catagoryAquamarine Power

Product catagoryOchsner Wärmepumpen

Product catagoryLichtBlick

International business cooperation categoryInensus

International business cooperation categoryGreenStream Network

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Business and biodiversity categoryCompany: Cafédirect, United KingdomAdaptation for smallholders to climate change (AdapCC).Description: Since 2007, Cafédirect and its partners have been jointly developing and implementing adaptation strategies with smallholder tea and coffee farmers. Their project aimed to create replicable examples of successful adaptation and funding mechanisms. One partner, CEPICAFE in Peru, has gone on to pioneer the innovative Reforestation Sierra Piura project to fund adaptation through mitigation. Jury comment: An innovative financing mechanism, this project provides an opportunity for locals to benefit from tradable CO2 quotas. As an SME with global outreach and a fair trade record, Cafédirect has overseen agroforestry management, particularly in the area of ecosystem services for water sustain-ability. www.cafedirect.co.uk

Company: Slovenské elektrárne, a.s., SlovakiaEnergy for Nature: Saving most precious animal species in Slovak mountains.Description: The Energy for Nature project, developed by Slovenské elektrárne, involves nature preservation and environmental protection activities as well as biodiversity support and stabilisation. Since 2007, the company, in cooperation with Tatras National

Park, has participated in the protection of endange-red species, particularly: Tatra chamois, Tatra mar-mot, Peregrine Falcon, brown trout, Golden Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Eurasian lynx and the grey wolf.Jury comment: In addition to creating sustainable promotion and investment public-private partnerships, the com-pany’s investment has supported the Natura 2000 habitat and species directive. Their project, which delivers activities on the ground, is a template for cross-border corporate social responsibility and biodiversity financing projects.www.seas.sk

Company: Voies Navigables de France, FranceRestoring the French waterways embankments in an ecological engineering approach.Description: The French inland waterways operator, Voies Navigables de France (VNF), has designed and im-plemented an innovative ecological engineering approach to restore, maintain and consolidate the country’s embankments. The method involves the use of natural materials such as plants, wood and biodegradable textiles, and supports biodiversity and ecological continuity restoration. Jury comment: In addition to encouraging the development of green waterways, this project implements commendable methods for sustainable river basin management. It involves the use of sound ecosystem practices, and has also resulted in the exclusion and reduction of invasive alien species.www.vnf.fr

The winners of the Danish National Business Awards for the Environment were announced during a prestigious award ceremony in Copenhagen on 23 March 2012. The awards were presented to the four winners by the Danish Minister for the Environment, Ms Ida Auken.

Four outstanding Danish companies were awarded in the competition’s three categories – Product, Process and Management. There were two winners in the Product award category, MT Højgaard, Agri Division and Envotherm.

MT Højgaard, Agri Division was recognised for the development of “Environment Defender” – an integrated air circulation system, which significantly

reduces ammonia emissions from livestock kept in open stalls. The other recipient, Envotherm, was selected for its project “ET Carwash”, which involved the development of an evaporation system for the purification of wastewater collected from car washes.

LeanVent was awarded the top prize in the Process category for developing an aerodynamic damper for low energy ventilation. In the Management category, De Forenede Dampvaskerier was chosen as the overall winner for its project “Viima” – a chemical-free cleaning concept.

For more information, or to view a webcast of the award ceremony, please visit: http://ida.dk/eumiljoepris

Business and biodiversity catagory

Cafédirect

Business and biodiversity catagory

Slovenské elektrárne

Business and biodiversity catagory

Voies Navigables de France

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Four Danish award winners advance to EBAE 2012Agenda21 May 2012

Smart Cities & SustainabilityBrussels, Belgium

Collaborating to address Societal Challenges

http://arctik.eventbrite.co.nz

22-25 May 2012Green Week 2012

Brussels, BelgiumThe 12th edition of Green Week,

the biggest annual conference on European environment policy, will take place from 22 to 25

May 2012 in Brussels. This year’s theme is “Water”.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/greenweek/

18-22 June 2012EUSEW 2012 Europe

Every year hundreds of organisations and individuals in over 30 countries take part in the EU Sustainable Energy

Week (EUSEW) by hosting Energy Day events and activities that promote energy efficiency and

renewable energy sources. www.eusew.eu

How to contact usEBAE website: http://www.ebae.euYou may contact your national coordinator directly:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/awards/in_your_country.html

EBAE SecretariatNancy Lukombe, c/o PRACSIS tel: +32 2 340 30 64; e-mail: eu.awards.env@pracsis.be

European Commission, Directorate-general for the environmentNatasza Hoffmann tel.: +32 2 299 68 73; e-mail: Natasza.HOFFMANN@ec.europa.eu

All four award winners have been put forward as Denmark’s representatives in the EBAE 2012.