Impact
Changes, improvements or additions to business processes, services, product or R&D that reduces the negative impact on the environment, further sustainable business practices or creates long-term stakeholder value by focusing on the environmental dimensions of doing business.
FINALISTS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY
Second-generation bioethanol production
Kurana was the first company in the Baltic States to produce second-generation bioethanol, which is used in petrol. The use of bioethanol allows to reduce dependency on fossil fuels (bioethanol accounts for 10% of petrol content) and thus to contribute to the reduction of the greenhouse effect.
Unique robotic wind turbine care
systems
Manufactured robotic tools for remote inspection, maintenance and repair of wind turbines that are much more efficient compared to traditional methods. The technology enables the preventive maintenance opportunity through the effectiveness, scalability, and data acquisition possibilities of Aerones robotic tools.
Affordable solar panels
Solarstone has developed the world’s first solar roof solution made of standard PV panels which becomes an integral part of modern construction standards.
WINNER
FINALISTS IN SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES
Sustainable carbon nanomaterials and graphite out of CO2
UP Catalyst provides a sustainable alternative to the environmentally harmful production of raw materials. UP Catalyst produces sustainable carbon nanomaterials out of CO2 and waste biomass, contributing to the transition towards carbon neutrality by 2050.
Global virtual power plant
Energy startup Fusebox brings together energy consumers and systems, which allows for a better integration of power sources and makes it possible to reduce CO2 emissions. They are the only trading platform for energy system balancing in the Baltic states, which balances power generation and consumption and helps companies contribute to a greener environment.
Craft cider in recyclable aluminium cans
The first brewery that has started to fill their craft cider in aluminium cans. Such packaging is almost never-endlessly recyclable and a new can returns to shelves in 60 days, also the production of recycled cans uses per 92% less energy than producing can from the scratch. Additionally can is lightweight and stackable, therefore once transported, it creates much less emissions and optimises the supply chains.
WINNER
FINALISTS IN SUPPLY CHAIN
Contamination of menstrual hygiene products
THATDAY period underwear is an innovative solution for the most special days of a month. Instead of using traditional hygiene items, now there are special, all-liquids friendly and absorbent panties. With THATDAY panties, women can vastly reduce her ecological footprint, save her wallet, diminish complications and allergies that usual synthetic goods can cause and even replace the disposable hygiene products maybe forever.
Decarbonisation in shipping and maritime logistics
Marine Digital develops software tools for the maritime supply chains to provide advanced analytics of CO2 emissions and decarbonization solutions as well as energy efficiency analyses. Maritime supply chains are a source of environmental and economic risks for every company using ocean shipping and sea transportation.Implementation of the Marine Digital solutions ensures companies more transparency and credibility in achieving net zero emissions goals and speeding up decarbonisation in the maritime sector.
WINNER
FINALISTS IN SOCIAL INICIATIVES
Supporting Ukranian war refugees
Re-Use Centre aims to put used things back in circulation and to make reuse and re-design easily accessible. In March 2022, the organisation opened a shop for Ukrainian war refugees who arrived in Tallinn and offered free-of-charge items for their basic needs (e.g. clothes, footwear, textiles, pillows-blankets, dishes, toys). Re-Use Centre has helped more than 10 000 Ukrainian refugees and has distributed over 180 000 items.
Preserving the ancient woods in Lithuania
Ancient Woods Foundation is an NGO that aims to preserve the old-growth forests of Lithuania and to create long-lasting examples of sustainable nature – public forests. Their team consists of a large community of scientists and professionals, united by a common goal of restoring the old Lithuanian forests and the belief that only by working together, true change can be achieved
Automated illegal content detection
Oxylabs has created a pro bono AI-powered tool that scans the internet to detect illegal visual content related to child sexual abuse. The combination of web scraping technology and AI-driven recognition software monitors websites in the Lithuanian IP address space. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Lithuania (CRA) has fully employed the tool in its daily operations.
WINNER
FINALISTS IN SUSTAINABLE CITIES & MOBILITY
Conversion of diesel transport to electric vehicles
ECO BUS offers the modernization of diesel buses to electric buses - an innovative way to achieve financial savings and replace existing buses with environmentally friendly vehicles. Using one modernized bus reduced CO2 emissions by 49.79 tons per year and NOx by 0.30 tons per year.
Wireless charging for shared and private mobility
Meredot develops wireless chargers to accelerate electrification in markets like robotics, material handling, and electric vehicles. Their wireless chargers are unmatched in speed, price, weight, and size, unlocking electrification by recharging vehicles during the short stops that already exist during operation to extend the range and shrink onboard batteries.
Smart street lighting system
Tet has developed a smart street lighting system that helps cities and other residential areas to lower street energy consumption by up to 90% and reduce approx. 70% of CO2 emissions. Equipped with LED lights, controllers and sensors, the system ensures automated light dimming targeted at the flow of different categories of vehicles, as well as pedestrians.
WINNER
Innovation
The most promising cutting-edge innovation in sustainability or CleanTech area developed by an enterprise or startup. Innovation by an enterprise or a sustainability startup itself that has a positive environmental impact at its core that aims to use technology and science to create solutions to global sustainability problems, from plastic waste to renewable energy.
FINALISTS IN ENTERPRISES
AI-powered HVAC solution for commercial real estate
R8 Technologies is a company that is focused on decreasing energy consumption and CO2 emissions of large premium class commercial properties while keeping outstanding indoor climate for every room and area. Their cloud-based software solution, Digital Operator, is one of the most successful Artificial Intelligence based tools in the world.
Cutting-edge technologies to develop biomaterials from hardwood
Fibenol is implementing globally first-of-a-kind cutting-edge technology to produce biomaterials and biochemicals from wood residues. They use hardwood residues from forestry and the wood processing industry in Estonia. A unique pre-treatment technology is being used that fractionates hardwood residues into lignin, sugar, and specialty cellulose with higher than 90% conversion efficiency.
Battery energy storage system
As an electricity transmission system operato, LITGRID AB promotes circular economy in an indirect way: they are creating a better environment for the growth of renewable energy supply and experimenting with innovations that would reduce the dependence of the electricity grid from traditional fossil fuel based generation.
WINNER
FINALISTS IN STARTUPS
Unique robotic wind turbine care systems
Aerones has developed and manufactured robotic tools for remote inspection, maintenance and repair of wind turbines that are much more efficient compared to traditional methods. The technology enables the preventive maintenance opportunity through the effectiveness, scalability, and data acquisition possibilities of Aerones robotic tools.
Sustainable carbon nanomaterials and graphite out of CO2
UP Catalyst provides a sustainable alternative to the environmentally harmful production of raw materials. UP Catalyst produces sustainable carbon nanomaterials out of CO2 and waste biomass, contributing to the transition towards carbon neutrality by 2050.
Affordable solar panels
Solarstone has developed the world’s first solar roof solution made of standard PV panels which becomes an integral part of modern construction standards.
WINNER
Changemaker
Aspiring individuals making a lasting effort for sustainability, bringing attention to the needed change, acting as an example to follow or educating and inspiring others to act.
FINALISTS IN ESTONIA
Mihkel Tammo, Visionary, TIFC Family office
Since 2016 his mission has been to advance sustainability as important topic In Estonia. Among businesses, NonProfits and also in public sector.
Karl Pärtel,
Co-founder of cleantech accelerator Beamline
Karl has focused his career on supporting sustainability and cleantech startups that will bring down everybody's footprint on our planet, and raise the region's focus on sustainable solutions. He is not only a co-founder of Bealine Accelerator but also of two material tech cleantech startups and a cleantech fund Little Green Fund.
Tarvo Õng,
CEO at Fusebox
Tarvo is the CEO of an energy startup Fusebox and his aim is to allow electricity consumers to offer their flexibility to the market and get savings and earnings in return. He is I'm a determined person with a vast experience in the energy industry.
WINNER
FINALISTS IN LATVIA
Daniels Truksans,
Eco-Schools and YRE programme coordinator at FEE Latvia
Daniels mission is to develop environmental education and education for sustainable development as an inalienable part of the education system in Latvia. For the last 12 years he has been an active member of Eco-Schools which is the largest global sustainable schools programme.
Aija Pope,
CEO at TerraWaste
Currently Aija is the CEO at TerraWaste - a next generation waste recycling company, that is turning non-recyclable waste into new, circular materials. Her main goal is to decrease the crude oil extraction and production of single use plastics, by recycling 65% more plastic waste by 2030. She is also participating in webinars, conferences and various events as a speaker to raise awareness and involve more people to make the change.
Laura Treimane, Climate and Sustainable Finance Program Manager at WWF-Latvia, Founder of ar Zero Waste Latvija
Since 2014 Laura has been raising awareness about the environmental protection issues among the citizens of Latvia. One of her recent achievements is the project “Advocacy Academy” on educating and training young people in environmental issues and critical thinking. In 2022, this project won recognition at the European level, receiving the national European Charlemagne Youth Prize.
WINNER
FINALISTS IN LITHUANIA
Gediminas Kondrackis, Director | Sustainability & Climate Activist | Grants Expert Asociacija „Aktyvus Jaunimas“
Gediminas is leading an EU-based for-purpose NGO that creates opportunities for youth and sustainable positive impact. His mission is to educate people and change habits relating to sustainability and climate change. This year he has contributed to the Climate Museum which has travelled through 16 cities in Lithuania. Over 30,000 people went through 60 minute long educations (guided tours) on climate change.
Artūras Razbadauskas, environmental expert at Lithuanian Environmental Coalition
In the 2019 Klaipeda University successfully ended Marine Valley project with the result of the innovative and open access Marine Research Center. As a rector, Artūras wants to address challenge of sustainable development in the seaside region through scientific input into fostering blue economy. This societal challenge is global in scope, since 60% of the global population lives within 100km of the coast, and the “land-sea” interface is the first area threatened by the climate transition and the rise of the oceans.
Emilija Biteryte,
Director at Mes Darom
As the director of a non-profit organisation Mes Darom, Emilija aims to promote consumer awareness and spread environmentally friendly ideas and the systemic mindset that everything in nature is connected. For 15 years, she has been an active sustainability ambassador by organizing national clean-ups, environmental festivals and educational campaigns
WINNER