Feronia: Application deadline for sustainability award extended to February 10th

The OÖNachrichten, together with the Oberbank and the state of Upper Austria, are awarding the sustainability prize for the second time after the premiere last year. Ecology, sustainability and climate protection should be brought more into the center of society. The application deadline has now been extended to February 10th.

Companies, schools, clubs and initiatives from Upper Austria can apply. A winner will be awarded on March 14th in each of the following four categories: “Thoroughly sustainable”, “Sustainable products and services”, “Diversity of sustainability” and “Learning and teaching sustainably”.

In the first category the Shoe manufacturer Think from Kopfing: “For us, sustainability is not a trend, but a fundamental attitude,” says managing director Christoph Mayer. For more than 30 years, Think – a brand of the Austrian shoe manufacturer legero united – has been offering sustainable, quality shoes, produced exclusively in Europe. The company wants to be CO2 neutral by 2030, by minimizing energy and resource consumption at all locations. The workshop in Kopfing also has its own repair service, where around a thousand pairs of shoes are replaced every year.

He also applied Plant manufacturer Infranorm from catfish. The customers of the company founded in 2004 (with 25 employees) include Upper Austria’s most important industrial companies. Infranorm’s hall air conditioning systems save up to 90 percent of electricity consumption, which not only reduces CO2 emissions but also significantly reduces operating costs. The system works on the principle of water evaporation and enables the complete elimination of environmentally harmful refrigerants.

Also in the voluntary one St. Johann am Walde parish library Sustainability plays an important role. The media is purchased from regional bookstores. The “Companies Give Reading Fun” project – companies in the area pay an annual ticket for elementary school students – gives all children free access to education. The free seed library launched in March 2023 to increase awareness of self-sufficiency and healthy eating. Those interested receive a seed bag; seeds are obtained from the flowers and fruits grown in the fall, which are then returned to the library.

In the category “Sustainable learning and teaching” is the Schlierbach agricultural technical and vocational school The past year was dominated by the school project “Stop land degradation, secure food sovereignty”. The 3rd grade students worked together to create a 40-page catalog on the topic. Among other things, they are calling for a change in building law, subsidies for the use of natural building materials and the use of vacant properties before untouched areas are built on. The young people also addressed their concerns to communities and state politicians.