Beer Boiling, Green Traffic Lights Scoop EU Business Awards
Ten companies have won European Business Awards for their efforts in sustainable development, including new methods for boiling beer and rescuing catalysts from chemical poisoning.
Ten companies have won European Business Awards for their efforts in sustainable development, including new methods for boiling beer and rescuing catalysts from chemical poisoning. The prizes were awarded to companies from seven EU and two candidate countries chosen from 100 competing businesses.
In the UK, British Petroleum was hailed for its OATS process that removes 99.5% of sulphur during the production of petrol, while DIY superstore B&Q was rewarded for its internal environmental management programme, QUEST, dealing with quality, ethics and safety.
“These companies show that sustainable development plays an increasingly important role in ensuring economic and commercial success,” said European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström, adding that a commitment to sustainable development was the key to Europe’s economic survival.
The European Business Awards, given mainly to small and medium sized businesses, were awarded on four ‘green’ themes. A European panel of experts selected companies that had integrated environmental issues into their policies or developed innovative products with re-use or environmental health benefits. Prizes were also awarded for cleaner and more sustainable manufacturing processes and efforts at international co-operation in technology transfer.
German and Luxembourg companies received recognition for their new boiling system, ‘Merlin’, that reduces the consumption of energy and raw materials during the beer-brewing process. Cheers for green beers accompanied the prize to the Bofferding brewery and brewing-technology expert Steinecker.
Integral Umwelt und Anlagentechnik earned Austria a prize through its regenerative process that saves catalysts from early death by chemical poisoning. Malta’s ST-Microelectronic received praise for its ‘Environmental Decalogue’ outlining the company’s 10 targets to environmental neutrality. By 2010, ST hopes to have completely neutralised its CO2 emissions.
Prizes were also awarded for a new Dutch insurance policy that ensures cars are repaired with used parts, and Slovenia’s new solar tiles that will heat homes and water, with the option of upgrading the tiles to generate electricity and air conditioning. Awards also went to the Danes, who will now be driving past greener traffic lights with longlife, maintenance free bulbs, and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, which has found a way to convert the 40 million tonnes of biomass waste generated each year from Malaysian oil palm cultivation into fibreboards.
In the UK, British Petroleum was hailed for its OATS process that removes 99.5% of sulphur during the production of petrol, while DIY superstore B&Q was rewarded for its internal environmental management programme, QUEST, dealing with quality, ethics and safety.
“These companies show that sustainable development plays an increasingly important role in ensuring economic and commercial success,” said European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström, adding that a commitment to sustainable development was the key to Europe’s economic survival.
The European Business Awards, given mainly to small and medium sized businesses, were awarded on four ‘green’ themes. A European panel of experts selected companies that had integrated environmental issues into their policies or developed innovative products with re-use or environmental health benefits. Prizes were also awarded for cleaner and more sustainable manufacturing processes and efforts at international co-operation in technology transfer.
German and Luxembourg companies received recognition for their new boiling system, ‘Merlin’, that reduces the consumption of energy and raw materials during the beer-brewing process. Cheers for green beers accompanied the prize to the Bofferding brewery and brewing-technology expert Steinecker.
Integral Umwelt und Anlagentechnik earned Austria a prize through its regenerative process that saves catalysts from early death by chemical poisoning. Malta’s ST-Microelectronic received praise for its ‘Environmental Decalogue’ outlining the company’s 10 targets to environmental neutrality. By 2010, ST hopes to have completely neutralised its CO2 emissions.
Prizes were also awarded for a new Dutch insurance policy that ensures cars are repaired with used parts, and Slovenia’s new solar tiles that will heat homes and water, with the option of upgrading the tiles to generate electricity and air conditioning. Awards also went to the Danes, who will now be driving past greener traffic lights with longlife, maintenance free bulbs, and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, which has found a way to convert the 40 million tonnes of biomass waste generated each year from Malaysian oil palm cultivation into fibreboards.
