Environment Agency wins European EMAS Award

The Environment Agency has won an award in the public administration category of the European EMAS Awards. The European EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme) Awards is the most prestigious award in environmental management and has been handed to top companies and local authorities since 2005.

This year the European Commission acknowledges the achievements of those EMAS organisations which have excelled in issues concerning the Supply chain including green procurement. Therefore, the criteria to nominate candidates for the EMAS Award 2009 were based on "Supply chain including green procurement" (by increasing for instance the number of recyclable and/or recycled materials in their manufacturing processes as well as the use of green products, such as "green" electricity, "environmental friendly" catering services, energy efficient IT equipment), in the following categories:

• Micro-organisations: < 10 employees and annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet total not exceeding € 2 million
• Small organisations: >/= 10 to < 50 employees and annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet total not exceeding € 10 million
• Medium organisations: >/= 50 to 250 employees and annual turnover not exceeding € 50 million and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding € 43 million
• Large organisations: > 250 employees and annual turnover of more than € 50 million and/or an annual balance sheet total of more than € 43 million
• Public administration including all institutions managed by a public authority

More than 30 organisations were nominated from all over Europe by the different Member States, and the Environment Agency was among the 7 organisations that won an award. More information can be found on the EMAS website.