Generali Versicherung announces the winners of its sustainability award for small and medium enterprises

• Boutiquehotel Stadthalle, eFriends Energy and Sonnberg Biofleisch won with their sustainability business models
• Prominent Jury of experts selected the winners from numerous submissions
• The three winners receive 10,000 Euros each in prize money

Vienna – During the Generali Open Kitzbühel, Generali Versicherung selected the winners of the “SME EnterPRIZE”, Generali’s new sustainability award launched on the occasion of the 190th anniversary of the Generali Group. A prize dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises to motivate companies to introduce sustainable business models and to establish already existing initiatives in the long term as well as to make them known throughout Europe.

The winners

From the numerous applications the jury selected the following companies as Generali SME EnterPRIZE Heroes 2021:

Category Sustainable Business Model

Boutiquehotel Stadthalle, Vienna

The hotel feels a strong connection not only to its guests, but also to the environment. Over the year, it produces almost as much energy as it consumes. The eco-hotel is designed as a passive house, produces its own electricity and is an oasis of well-being in the middle of the big city of Vienna. The Stadthalle boutique hotel sees itself as an ambassador for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
www.hotelstadthalle.at

Second and third place went to Müller Abfallprojekte GmbH (www.mueller-umwelttechnik.at) and Dorfplatz St. Andrä-Wördern (www.dorfplatz-staw.net).

Category Sustainable Products and Services

Sonnberg Biofleisch GmbH, Unterweißenbach

Beyond the high quality awareness of its products, Sonnberg Biofleisch attaches great importance to environmentally friendly production through state-of-the-art energy and merchandise management. Sonnberg Biofleisch takes responsibility for the well-being and welfare of the animals - and acts responsibly for the next generations.
biofleisch.biz

The second and third places were taken by Viktor Hotel Ottenstein (hotelottenstein.at) and Sonnengrün e.U. (www.sonnengruen.com).

Category sustainability through digitalization

eFriends Energy GmbH, Nappersdorf

The eFriends are a community that shares regionally generated green electricity. eFriends are either electricity producers or consumers. Revolutionary eFriends technology is installed in the meter boxes of their houses and apartments. A dedicated app connects eFriends.
www.efriends.at

Second and third place went to Mechatronik Austria GmbH (www.mechatronik-austria.at) and Kerkoc GmbH (www.kerkoc.com).

The three winners in each category receive a cash prize of 10,000 euros each and also a one-year membership in the Austrian green tech startup Glacier. This step helps companies to further reduce their carbon footprint.

Generali Versicherung CEO Gregor Pilgram and Arno Schuchter, Board Member for Sales and Marketing, presented the prizes to the winners: "Sustainability is very important to Generali and I am therefore very pleased that many of our customers have already incorporated this topic into their corporate philosophy. I would like to congratulate the winners most warmly," said Pilgram.

Boutiquehotel Stadthalle will represent Austria at the international Generali event in Brussels on September 28, 2021. Participants from seven countries will take part in this final event of the SME EnterPRIZE.

The Jury

The top-class jury consisted of the following sustainability experts:

DI Dr. Hildegard Aichberger, Director of Marketing and Sales at oekostrom AG
Dr. Markus Bürger, Secretary General, Austrian Council for Sustainable Development
Mariana Kühnel, MA, Deputy Secretary General, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Kerstin Neumann, Professor for Corporate Sustainability, University of Innsbruck
Andreas Tschas, CEO and Co-Founder of Glacier

The Jury supported Generali in choosing the winners. "I would like to thank all members of the jury for their commitment and support. With their high level of expertise, they have made the Generali SME EnterPRIZE a highly professional sustainability award in Austria," said Gregor Pilgram, pleased with Generali's successful initiative.

Sustainability at Generali

Generali engages in numerous activities in the areas of social responsibility, ecology and economy. Careful treatment of the environment and the conservation of resources are very important.

As a founding member of the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance, Generali underscores the importance of the insurance industry in climate protection. Generali has set itself the goal of contributing to accelerating the transition to a global net-zero emissions economy.

It also joined the Paris Pledge for Action after COP21, the 2015 UN World Climate Conference in Paris.

To strengthen its responsibility in the social sphere, the Generali Group launched "The Human Safety Net" initiative in 2017. Under this initiative, disadvantaged people are encouraged and supported. In Austria, Generali has been cooperating with the independent and non-profit organization Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2019.

Further details on the Generali SME EnterPRIZE can be found at sme-enterprize.at. Further information on the topic of sustainability at Generali is described at www.generali.at/ueber-uns/verantwortung/nachhaltigkeit-csr/.