Skanska Property Hungary Wins National CSR Prize and Pre-Qualifies for 2012 EU Award

Skanska Property Hungary won the Environmentally Conscious Management Special Award in the field of Environmental Protection on 2 June at the Hungarian CSR MarketPlace 2011 Exhibition. The forum, organized by KÖVET: The Association for Sustainable Management was an official event of the Hungarian EU Presidency.

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is a priority area of the EU’s Europe 2020 strategy, and it also appears in the Presidency Programme of the Spain-Belgium-Hungary Trio.

With CSR experience and expertise as its core messages, CSR MarketPlace 2011 attracted 65 carefully selected CSR solutions by a variety of exhibitors (governmental organizations, corporations of various sizes, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and civil society members), and the general public to the ‘Millenáris’ Events Center in Budapest. Opening remarks were made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Hungarian Public Administration and Justice Dr. Tibor Navracsics; European Parliament Spokesperson on CSR and MEP Richard Howitt; and Jan Noterdaeme, Senior Advisor on Strategy, EU and Stakeholder Relations of CSR Europe.

The Skanska stand presented both completed and ongoing commercial property development projects in Hungary (Népliget Center, Green House), offered ecological footprint measurements and educational dialogues for visitors on green development and environmental consciousness, and dynamically engaged the public through video presentations and interactive activities, such as the Skanska Tree.

Andreas Lindelöf, Managing Director of Skanska Property Hungary received the award, a representative piece of contemporary design combining the shape of a green leaf with that of our planet. In his acceptance speech he emphasized Skanska’s ongoing commitment to sustainable development, ethical business standards and corporate social responsibility, and encouraged all participants to engage in an open and passionate society-level dialogue in CSR related areas. He pointed out that the award was a result of great teamwork, and expressed his gratitude for his entire unit for the outstanding achievement.
The Environmentally Conscious Management Special Award – beyond being a sign of appreciation for the Hungarian business unit – also grants access for Skanska Property Hungary to apply for the 2012 European Business Award for the Environment (EBAE),
organized by the European Commission. The biennial EBAE (launched in 1987) recognizes and promotes organizations that make an outstanding contribution to sustainable development. It is only open to finalists of national competitions in one of the 27 EU Member States or candidate countries.