European Awards for the Environment - international recognition

European Awards for the Environment play a crucial role in demonstrating environmental progress worldwide. These biannual awards are sponsored by the European Commission and the United Nations Environment Programme.

The Awards are designed to reward and recognise the efforts of organisations who have made significant contributions to sustainable development and made measurable improvements to their performance through:

• effective management of their business operations, environmental, financial and social responsibilities
• successful innovation of sustainable products, services and manufacturing processes, minimising pollution and environmental impacts
• effective working in international partnerships with organisations from other sectors

European Awards for the Environment

To win such international acclaim provides a company with:

• international recognition for environmental achievements;
• endorsement of environmental, economic and social benefits;
• publicity and prestige;
• verification of sound environmental management;
• improved public relations.

Defra supports UK participation in the European Awards for the Environment because it can form part of a wider effort to help raise awareness of the need for better environmental performance by business and industry; help to promote the environmental achievements of business both in the UK and overseas; and be linked to other environmental and sustainable development issues (such as Government initiatives on sustainable production and consumption, and on waste and resource productivity)

The Awards are given in four categories:

The Management Award for Sustainable Development - recognises the important role of a management systems approach in delivering continuous improvements in environmental performance.

The Product Award for Sustainable Development - recognises how the careful design of products and services can promote sustainable consumption and create new business opportunities.

The Technology Award for Sustainable Development - recognises the important role of research and innovation in developing sustainable production technologies that deliver environmental, economic and social benefits.

The International Partnership Award for Sustainable Development - acknowledges the global dimension of sustainable development and the important role to be played by international cross-sectoral alliances.

Eligibility

Eligibility to enter the European Awards scheme is restricted to those businesses in the European Union and accession countries who have gained a national award which recognises their efforts to improve their environmental performance. Entries are judged by an international panel of independent experts with experience and knowledge of sustainable development issues and organised by the Awards Steering Committee in the European Commission.

Entering the European Awards for the Environment – A Guide for UK Companies

How participation can benefit companies: To demonstrate commitment to improving the environmental performance of UK companies To enhance company image and promote achievements To gain exposure in the market place nationally and internationally To gain recognition in Europe as an environmental champion for the UK To exploit the competitive advantage associated with greener products, services and activities

How UK companies can enter for a European award for the Environment:

To enter the Awards and reap the potential benefits, the answer to the following questions should be yes:

• Has your business/organisation made significant environmental improvements within the work place or to business activities through changes to management policies, products or processes?

• Has your business/organisation won a UK National Award from one of the following feeder schemes?

• Business Commitment to the Environment Awards, www.bceawards.org

• Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management Awards, www.ciwem.com

• Green Apple Organisation Awards, www.thegreenorganisation.info/

• Green Chemical Technology Awards, www.chemsoc.org

• Institution of Chemical Engineers Awards, www.icheme.org

• Queen’s Awards, www.queensawards.org.uk

• Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland Awards, www.vibes.org.uk

• Wales Environment Awards, www.arenanetwork.org

• Water Efficiency Awards, www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

These feeder schemes have been identified by the RSA Awards Forum as awards schemes that:

• Attract and award to high quality entries
• Follow the Forum’s criteria for the new accreditation scheme
• Match the European Commissions Award Themes

These feeder schemes are regularly reviewed to ensure that these criteria are met.

Further details on these and other UK environment awards can be found at the RSA Awards Forum web site: www.environmentawards.net/envawards/

If the answers are ‘yes’: Winners from the above mentioned feeder schemes are automatically processed by the UK secretariat to identify candidates that match the EC’s rules and criteria. A short list is prepared with assistance from an independent review panel established by the Secretariat with the help of the RSA.

If you haven’t won a UK National Award from the above list you may still be able to enter in the future: Contact the most appropriate feeder scheme for your project for details on how to enter their awards. If you are successful then you may subsequently be considered for entry to the European Awards - but you have to win a UK feeder award first.

The review and application process:

The review panel judge each entry for its relevance to the Awards category specifications (for more information on the categories visit www.eu-environment-awards.org). They aim to put forward the highest quality, strongest and most diverse range of entrants to Europe.

Following the review panel, short listed entrants are contacted by the UK Secretariat. If a company wishes to proceed to the European Awards then the UK Secretariat will forward the relevant application form. The UK Secretariat will then liaise with and support that company until the form is completed in the best possible manner for a successful submission.

Winners of a European Award will be selected by a European Jury. Successful companies will be invited to a prestigious Awards Ceremony hosted by the European Commission. The event will be covered be national and international media to showcase the winners.

Entries for the 2004 Awards have been selected by a Review Panel and will now go forward to be considered at the meeting of the European Jury at the end of February 2004.

The Awards Ceremony will take place in Brussels during Green Week in the presence of Commissioner Margot Wallstrom on Tuesday 1 June 2004.

More information about entering the European Awardas for the Environment can be obtained from:

Momenta
Didcot
Oxon
OX11 OQJ

Telephone: 0870 190 6078, or e mail Adrian Cole at adrian.cole@aeat.co.uk

2002 Awards

The UK was very successful in the last round of the awards with winners in two out of the four categories:

Management Category:

B&Q plc
See www.diy.com/bq/index.jhtml
E mail: Claire.cooper@b-and-q.co.uk

Process Category

BP UK
See: www.bp.com
E mail: butler@bp.com

Find out more....

To access a national database of environmental and sustainable development awards contact the Royal Society of Arts: www.environmentawards.net

The RSA Awards Forum also produces guidance and best practice on entering, organising, and sponsoring awards, which can be downloaded from the web site, as well as providing details of sources of grant funding.

Full details of the European Awards for the Environment can be obtained from the European Commission, DG Environment. Contact:

Erika Jangen
9 Avenue de Beaulieu
B - 1160 Bruxelles
Tel: 33 2 296 7756
Fax: 33 2 296 9569
E mail: Erika.jangen@cec.eu.int
www.eu-environment-awards.org