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Seven enterprises ready to demonstrate their environmentally friendly performance

Seven industrial enterprises are applying for award at the contest for TOP 10 of environmentally friendly enterprises organised by the Ministry of Environment for the first time.

In case all of the participating enterprises comply with the contest criteria, TOP 7 of environmentally friendly enterprises will be announced instead of the originally intended TOP 10. The results will be announced in the second half of March and the winner of the contest will gain the right to represent Estonia in the relevant EU contest in 2002.

The applications were submitted to the Ministry by the following enterprises: Eesti Energia, Kunda Nordic Tsement, Optiroc, Elqoteq, Kroonpress, Tallinna Küte and Vilma Pagaritööstus.

When arranging the contest, the Ministry of Environment assumed that the number of participating enterprises would be sufficient for choosing the top 10. The actual number of applications received indicates that the majority of Estonian enterprises are not yet ready to demonstrate their environmentally friendliness. 

According to Jüri Truusa, Senior Officer of Environmental Management and Technology Department, many Estonian enterprises considered the contest criteria too stringent. “We took a 3-year period as a basis and requested the enterprises to demonstrate continuous improvement of their environmental performance over that period. Participation in the TOP 10 contest requires a functioning environmental management system to be in place. Apparently, such system is still lacking in a large number of enterprises,” Truusa said.

Eesti Energia (Estonian Energy) considers it only natural to participate in the contest, as environmental protection has been a high priority for the enterprise already for years. According to Valdur Lahtvee, Environmental Manager of the enterprise, Eesti Energia was the first enterprise in Central and Eastern Europe to introduce a green energy product.
"Compliance with environmental requirements is not a barrier to business but an opportunity to reduce costs and succeed on the market,” Lahtvee said. According to Lahtvee, the contest offers Eesti Energia a chance to compare its environmental performance with that of other enterprises, so as to set more precise targets for the future.

The Ministry of Environment arranged the contest in order to acknowledge the efforts and investments made by Estonian enterprises in reduction of environmental pollution, to promote environmentally sound production and public awareness of actions towards sustainable development.

The aim of the contest is to distinguish those enterprises that have achieved outstanding results in reducing environmental pollution and for whom environmental protection is not the main field of activity.

The enterprises will be assessed with respect to the reduction achieved in the use of resources per production unit and in pollution load. In addition, the enterprises' capacity to draw up public environmental reports and to apply an environmental management system will be assessed.

Additional information: Jüri Truusa, Senior Officer of Environmental Management and Technology Department of the Ministry of Environment, tel.: 660 4604, 056-497698