The Environmental Enterprise Award is back: applications open Oct. 16 to participate in the 11th Edition

Source: Unioncamere press office

It will be the Venice Rovigo Chamber of Commerce, for the fourth consecutive time, together with Unioncamere to organize the new edition of the Award dedicated to Italian companies that have made a contribution to innovation with a view to sustainable development. Companies founded by Italian nationals registered with Assocamerestero partner foreign chambers are also eligible.

www.premioimpresambiente.it

Venice, Oct. 17, 2023 – Open since yesterday, Oct. 16, the 11th edition of the Impresa Ambiente Prize, a national award dedicated to companies and entities that are involved in the innovation of products, systems, processes, partnerships and technologies with a view to sustainable development, environmental respect and Social Responsibility within the framework of the goals established by the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Organizing the new edition will be the Venice Rovigo Chamber of Commerce together with Unioncamere, with the support of Assocamerestero and SSV Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro. Companies can submit nominations for the Award by midnight on December 16, 2023 by filling out the appropriate form within the dedicated website.

All micro, small, medium and large enterprises regularly registered with their relevant territorial Chamber of Commerce can participate in the Award. A novelty with respect to the previous edition (whose award ceremonies were held in Venice at Palazzo Franchetti last April 21) is the possibility for foreign companies founded by Italian nationals and registered with the member Chambers of Commerce of Assocamerestero to participate in the Award.

There will be four award categories:

• Best Management for Sustainable Development: companies with a strategic vision and a management system that consistently contributes to the sustainable development of the company, the community in which they are located, is committed to promoting and upholding workers’ rights, and calculating its impact on the value chain are eligible to apply in this category; sustainability goals must be monitored through appropriate indicators and performance measurements;
• Best product or service for sustainable development (micro and small enterprises) and Best product or service for sustainable development (medium and large enterprises): products and services must be newly developed or represent the evolution of existing models, capable of promoting sustainable production methods and consumption styles that contribute to the implementation of circular economy principles and improve people’s quality of life; in addition, a low level of emissions and pollutants must be demonstrated relative to the entire life cycle of the product/service: raw material extraction, construction, distribution, use and end-of-life management; finally, they must be economically sustainable and their production/consumption must make a concrete contribution to equitable social progress;
• Best process/technology for sustainable development: the new technology may refer to a newly developed process (or technique) or relate to an evolution of an existing process (or technique); in both cases the technology must ensure a positive spin-off in terms of environmental sustainability, economic and social impact and at the same time ensure an optimization of the efficiency of the natural resources used, while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact of the product life cycle through: energy and material savings, shifting from nonrenewable to renewable resources, non-use of hazardous substances, reduction of emissions and waste;
• Best Cooperation for Sustainable Development: a category, the latter, open to companies that have developed international partnerships involving one or more organizations from different sectors (private companies, public entities, nongovernmental entities, academic and research institutions); the partners of the Italian or foreign organization(s) must belong to developing countries or countries with an economy in transition; the partnerships must be based on the principles of equity, transparency and mutual benefit; in addition, they must contribute significantly to the three elements that characterize sustainable development: environmental protection, economic development and social equity, and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed by the United Nations.

In addition to the four award categories, there are three special awards:

·          Special Award Impresa Ambiente “Young Entrepreneur”: recognition reserved for business owners or managers under 40 in competition for one of the categories, who have distinguished themselves by outstanding entrepreneurial skills, innovation and research activities dedicated to eco-sustainable development.

·         Special Award Impresa Ambiente “Innovative Start-up”: recognition reserved for companies that are qualified as innovative start-ups in accordance with Article 25 paragraph 2 of Decree-Law No. 179 of October 18, 2012 “Further Urgent Measures for the Growth of the Country” in competition for one of the categories of the Award, which have distinguished themselves for highly innovative and research projects dedicated to eco-sustainable development;

·         Special Environment Enterprise Award “Assocamerestero”: recognition reserved for companies that are based abroad, and are regularly associated with a foreign Chamber of Commerce and have distinguished themselves by management or product/service or, again, process/technology or, finally, cooperation for sustainable development.

A special committee will evaluate, once the application collection and inquiry phase of the call for entries is completed, to decree the winners of the four categories and the three special prizes.