The European Commission has
announced the winners of this year's European Eco-Management and Audit
Scheme Awards. The six winning organisations showed excellence in
respecting and safeguarding the environment, and in applying innovative
solutions to improve their water management. The awards were handed out
at a ceremony in Brussels last night.
Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "Water
is a precious resource, and it needs better care. So I am very happy to
congratulate all the EMAS Award winners for managing water issues in
their organisations with such impressive results. With these awards the
European Commission recognises their outstanding environmental
performance in this field. Keep up the good work!"
This year's winners, selected from
among 27 entries, are: Abwasserverband Anzbach Laabental (Austria),
Riechey Freizeitanlagen GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Neumarkter
Lammsbräu Gebr. Ehrnsperger e. K. (Germany), Lafarge Cement (United
Kingdom), Comune di Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Italy), Bristol City Council
(United Kingdom).
Private sector winners and their achievements
Micro-organisations: Abwasserverband Anzbach Laabental (Austria)
is an association of innovative sewage works founded in 1972. Member
communities clean their sewage in an ecologically sound manner and
promote eco-friendly waste disposal to the public. They register all
non-domestic polluters to avoid dangerous water pollution, and
association members only cooperate with certified suppliers that are
evaluated annually.
Small organisations: Riechey Freizeitanlagen GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) runs
the Wulfenerhals camping and holiday park on the Baltic Sea island of
Fehmarn. They have established an integrated water cycle system and a
biological water treatment plant that enables re-use of recycled waste
water for watering their lawns. They have also installed water-saving
mechanisms in their showers and use only biological cleaning and washing
liquids.
Medium-sized organisations: Neumarkter Lammsbräu Gebr. Ehrnsperger e. K. (Germany)
is a brewery produces organic beers and non-alcoholic drinks. The
company saves water by using rainwater and recycled water. Neumarkter
Lammsbräu educate their employees about saving water and ensure the
responsible use of water from the company-owned wells. Since they use
only ecological raw materials, no pesticides go into their wastewater.
Large organisations: Lafarge Cement (UK),
the UK's largest cement maker commissioned independent water
footprinting work for the whole life-cycle water impacts of their
products. This led to better water efficiency in the cement-making
process: 1.22m3 water per tonne PCE (Portland Cement Equivalent) in
2010, as opposed to 0.142m3 water per ton PCE in 2011. When developing
new cements, they now take into account the water required by the end
user.
Public sector winners and their achievements...
Small organisations: Comune di Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Tuscany, Italy)
requires water saving technologies to be installed in all newly
constructed buildings. It has also introduced agricultural improvement
plans to reduce erosion and runoff. The Council now considers water
management aspects when deciding on capital investments, procurement and
other activities, and organises environmental training for the
hospitality industry.
Large organisations: Bristol City Council (UK) promotes water
efficiency schemes including rainwater harvesting, sustainable urban
drainage and reduced water consumption in the city’s horticultural
programme, reducing Bristol’s water consumption by 11 % since 2009/10.
The strategy for future city development includes key policies for water
conservation. The surface water quality of rivers across the city is
also being improved through local initiatives.
Background
The European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for organisations aiming to improve their environmental and financial performance and communicate their environmental achievements. EMAS leads to enhanced performance, credibility and transparency of registered organisations.
In 2005 the European Commission
decided to reward the excellent work of EMAS registered organisations by
introducing the EMAS Awards. The EMAS Awards recognise outstanding
achievements in one particular environmental management aspect each
year.
The theme of the 2012 Awards is
“Water Management, including Water Efficiency and Water Quality”. This
year, 27 bodies from 14 European countries were nominated. Six winners
were selected by a jury of experts chaired by Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency. The award ceremony took place in the “Ateliers des Tanneurs” in Brussels, Belgium.
