Companies, start-ups, and organizations are invited to apply for the second Baltic Sustainability Innovation Awards

To highlight the most significant achievements in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship and to illustrate the growing role of innovation in sustainability, Baltic companies are invited to submit their initiatives to the Baltic Sustainability Awards 2022. From today, companies, organizations, start-ups as well as individual experts are invited to submit their initiatives in the categories "Impact", "Innovation" and "Changemakers". The winners will be announced at the Baltic Sustainability Awards ceremony on 30 November at Splendid Palace, Riga.

Baltic Sustainability Awards (BSA) is a Baltic-level awards competition for enterprises, organizations, startups, and individuals in sustainability innovation. Baltic Sustainability Awards are hosted by Helve together with founding partner Rimi Baltic. Last year more than 300 applications were received, and eight winners from the Baltics were awarded among all categories. Among the winners from the Baltics was the city of Vilnius, which in cooperation with universities, companies, and institutions has created an open platform to share and develop innovative ideas to promote sustainable energy consumption in Vilnius. Latvian Institute for Environmental Solutions won the category Impact for their solution that monitors the rice fields in Vietnam using satellite data to reduce methane emissions. Among the winners for the category Innovation was the Estonian sustainable investing platform Grünfin which enables people to set up an investment portfolio that allows them to earn market-based returns while making a positive impact.

Describing the Baltic Sustainability Innovation Award, Helve Business Development Manager Anna Marija Ķiesnere says that "the aim of the award is to highlight the opportunities offered by sustainability innovations, which will become an integral part of business in the long term. Through the Baltic Sustainability Awards and the forum discussions, we want to not only recognize achievements and educate about industry developments but also build a community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and individuals looking for solutions for the future world."

“To take the Baltic Sustainability Awards further, this year we will pay special attention to the aspects of social and corporate responsibility, which together with environmental aspects make the success formula for sustainable business. We invite companies, organizations, and individuals to submit both green innovation and social entrepreneurship stories to inspire others to follow the example of change leaders," says Zanda Šadre, Corporate Responsibility and Communications Director at Rimi Baltic.

The initiatives for the Awards can be submitted until October 14 in three categories: “Impact”, “Innovation” and “Changemaker”. In the category “Impact”, a jury will evaluate companies' and organizations' initiatives to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Companies, NGOs, and local authorities are invited to submit their solutions in areas such as renewable energy, resource re-use, mobility, sustainable supply chains, and social entrepreneurship. In the category of “Innovations”, those companies and startups which have developed green technology and sustainability innovations industries will be awarded. The 2021 finalists' solutions included new technologies for growing meat in the laboratory, an investment platform that incorporates sustainability criteria, a solution for recycling non-recyclable waste, and reducing the ecological footprint of the fashion industry. The Awards also want to celebrate individuals that have contributed to promoting the idea of a sustainable lifestyle; thus, we invite you to apply for the “Changemakers” category. In this category, a winner will be awarded from each Baltic country based on public voting results. At the same time, an international expert jury will choose the winners for the “Impact” and “Innovation” categories of the Baltics.

To ensure a fair, transparent and data-driven assessment of applications tailored specifically to the Baltic Sustainability Awards, EY Baltic, a leading business advisory firm, has joined the initiative as a strategic methodology partner. “Sustainability is not just a challenge; it is an opportunity for businesses to mitigate the transition risk and to thrive in the new sustainable economy. At EY, we see Sustainability as the “new normal” that is transforming the mindsets of business leaders and offering innovative solutions for a better working world.” Jānis Kauliņš, Partner at EY, Leader of Climate Change and Sustainability Services in the Baltics comments on the motivation for companies to choose sustainable development path.

Baltic Sustainability Awards are hosted by Helve together with founding partner Rimi Baltic. The initiative is supported by strategic partners IF, Dokobit, and Baltic Block and methodology partner EY Baltic. Applications for Baltic Sustainability Awards can be submitted until the 14th of October at www.balticsustainabilityawards.eu. The Baltic Sustainability Awards ceremony will take place at the closing event live at Splendid Palace, Riga and online on 30 November.

Additional information

Elīza Lazdāne
Baltic Sustainability Awards Media Relations
Tālr.: +371 26163626
eliza@helve.eu