Corporate environmental excellence finds its reward

Budapest, 5 May 2000 - The International Chamber of Commerce and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today presented a dozen companies the first business awards for environmental achievement.

The winners were companies of all sizes. They ranged from a major Japanese electric power utility to a Peruvian brewer, an aluminium producer in Bahrain and a printer in southern England.

The companies were chosen among more than 120 candidates by a panel of international experts drawn from business, academic and environmental groups.

On the final day of ICC's Wor ld Congress in the Hungarian capital, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Töpfer and Lord Holme, Chairman of ICC's Environment Commission presented the winners of the Millennium Award for Environmental Achievement with trophies and certificates.

UNEP Executive Director Klaus Töpfer added: "The 12 award winners - drawn from many different sectors and representing the world of business large and small - have built on the foundation stones of well constructed policy and systems, improved resource management, and technological innovation."

"We need sustainable development and there is a need to highlight the very best practices in business and industry. Therefore, it is most important to have these companies recognized by the ICC and UNEP - the environment organization of the United Nations. Naturally, these companies will have more problems to solve but they have taken up the challenge to demonstrate that sound environmental management does not come at the expense of economic performance, " he added.

Lord Holme of Cheltenham commented :" Today we see one of the first fruits of the Global Compact which Kofi Annan has proposed between the United Nations and business world-wide. The Global Compact covers shared core values between business and the United Nations in human rights, labour standards and the environment. This award highlights positive co-operation between the ICC and UNEP to improve the environment."

"Very many companies now recognise the need to integrate environmental imperatives into every phase of their operations - and the twelve winners in these joint UNEP: ICC Millennium Awards represent graphic evidence of this.

" In congratulating them, the ICC re-iterates its commitment to high levels of environmental responsibility on the part of businesses large and small wherever they operate."

A total of 38 companies from 21 countries were put forward by ICC national committees for the final selection process.

The award winners were: Altos Hornos de Mexico, Aluminium Bahrain, Bahia Sul Celulose, The Beacon Press, BSES, Cervesur, HiPP, International Forest Products, Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises, Rohner Textil, Siam Compressor Industry, Tokyo Electric Power Company.

The award is expected to become an annual event.