Twelve finalists have been chosen to represent the UK at the biennial European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE), from the winners of the UK's 14 RSA accredited environmental award schemes.

The schemes have all been recognised by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) as examplars of best practice, and they are the only ones that can feed their winners and runners-up through to the EBAE competition.
 
The Northwest Business Environment Awards became the first regional scheme to be accredited as an official feeder scheme in 2010.

Across Europe there are different processes for selecting national entrants. Each country can submit up to 12 entries, with no more than four entries per category.

European competition

This year’s UK entrants will go forward to compete against award winners from 23 other European countries, in the Management, Product, and International Business Cooperation categories. There are also separate categories for Process and Business and Biodiversity.

The winners of each EBAE category will be announced in Brussels during Green Week in June 2012.

The UK entrants are:

Management Award

• Marks and Spencer - Plan A sustainability programme
• Robert Wiseman - Sustainability strategy
• Olympic Delivery Authority - Sustainable development strategy
• Arcola - Green Action Plan to become the world's first carbon neutral theatre

Product  Award

• Aquamarine Power - Innovative 'Oyster' wave power technology
• Levi Strauss - Levi's 'WaterProcess'
• Oxford Catalyst Group - Microchannel reactors for the production of clean fuels
• Hanson - Measham Brick Works, for sustainable brick making
• Avalon - Insulation installation using abseiling
• Greenvale - Unique water recycling system developed in the potato processing industry

International Business Cooperation Award

• Cafédirect - Adaptation for small holders to climate change scheme
• Sindicatum – A partnership with the Chinese coal mining industry, to bring sustainable development into underground mining

UK winners

In 2010, the UK was successful in the EBAE Management category, where The Findus Group in London took first prize for its 'Fish for Life' campaign, which supports sustainable fisheries.

Two years earlier, the North West was recognised when The Co-operative Group Ltd won the Management Award for sustainable development strategy.

'Best of the best'

According to the RSA in the UK, accreditation is only achieved by a "select number of environmental and sustainable award schemes, which demonstrate high quality and validity". As a result, those chosen for Europe are "the best of the best, the most far-sighted, responsible and innovative companies from across the country".

Posted under General Interest on 22 February 2012