Former edie award winner M&S scoops EBAE

As part of the competition, UK entrants for Europe are selected from the winners of RSA accredited-award schemes from the past two years – including edie’s rebranded Sustainability Leaders Awards (SLA), formerly the Environmental Awards for Excellence, to compete against winners from 23 other European countries.

According to the RSA, accreditation is only achieved by a “select number of environmental and sustainable award schemes, which demonstrate high quality and validity”.

M&S, which won edie’s renewable energy commitment and green corporate initiative categories in 2011 for its Plan A Sustainability Strategy, also won EBAE’s management award.

EBAE awards jury said: “By successfully integrating the sustainable management of resources into all of its operations and supply chains, M&S has presented an excellent example of sustainable and replicable retail practice.”

M&S head of Plan A delivery Adam Elman, said: “This award recognises the hard work of our colleagues across M&S and into the supply base, as well as the engagement of our customers. We are proud to be a winner today and hope we can inspire other businesses to do the same.”

Also, flying the flag for the UK business was wave technology supplier Aquamarine Power, which won the product award category for its Oyster Wave technology.

Like its predecessor, the SLA remains one of the few environmental awards schemes accredited by the RSA as an official feeder scheme for the European Commission’s EBAEs.

As a result, edie winners are deemed to be among the elite of UK award winners and, as such, have earned access to the European awards.

Entries are coming in thick and fast for this year’s SLA, so to be in with a chance to win and gain entry to the EBAE then please apply by the deadline of June 15 here.