Budapest, May 20, 2010 - Skanska Hungary has won the "Greenest Office of 2010" award in this year's Green Office contest, organized by the KÖVET Association, where companies competed to make their own office environments as green as possible by introducing changes that will have a long-term environmental impact. More than 30 companies took part in the different categories of the contest, which was organized by the KÖVET Association for Sustainable Business, and the prizes were awarded at the Green Office Exhibition on May 18th.
Skanska’s corporate vision is to be the leader in green development and construction on all its markets. For many years the focus has been on environmental awareness and energy efficiency in all projects over the world, from roads and bridges to schools and hospitals. As a developer of office buildings, Skanska plays a major role in providing a "green" environment where employees can spend their working time. Skanska's offices are located in their own-built Népliget Center office complex, which is a European Union certified GreenBuilding.
Skanska has already shown its commitment to sustainability through its green investments, but now, by taking part in the contest, the company has introduced green changes in its everyday operations in Hungary. Such changes include fitting the offices with energy-saving motion-sensor lighting systems, introducing filtered tap water in place of plastic bottled water, and defining their own environmental principles for organizing company events. Further steps were taken to encourage selective waste collection and careful use of paper, especially by conducting in-house training on these issues.
"This award means a lot to us, since it shows that our own office is as environmentally aware as our investments. To be a truly green developer you need to live as you learn. " says Andreas Lindelöf, Skanska Property Hungary's managing director. "All our office developments throughout the world as well as Green House, our next office project in Budapest, meet the highest environmental standards such as those of the LEED system.
About the Green Office Contest: The contest was held by the KÖVET Association as part of their Green Office Program, which aims to encourage participating organizations to make their offices greener. Companies taking part in the contest had two months to implement changes which would turn their offices into truly environmentally aware Green Offices. The contest began with a test to evaluate the status of the offices and to identify those areas requiring the greatest attention and assistance. The contest finished with another questionnaire and an onsite audit carried out by KÖVET experts, to check how far the offices had developed, how actively the companies had taken part, and how well they met the Green Office criteria. The prizes were awarded by an independent jury, based on an open points-scoring system. The organization earning the most points - and therefore performing the best in the contest - was awarded the "Green Office of 2010" award.
For more information:
Andreas Lindelöf
Managing Director
Skanska Property Hungary Ltd.
Tel.: +36-1-382 9100
E-mail: