The first Basel-Stadt Climate Award culminated on September 5, 2024 at Klybeck 610. This new award, initiated by the Basel-Stadt Trade Association, honors companies that contribute to achieving climate goals and promoting the circular economy through innovative projects. The competition is supported by the Basler Kantonalbank (BKB), the Industriellen Werke Basel (IWB), BaselCircular and the Department of Economic, Social and Environmental Affairs (WSU) of the Canton of Basel-Stadt.
The awards ceremony began with the Net Zero category, in which the Wyniger Group took first place with a prize of 10,000 francs. The company convinced the jury with its progressive measures to reduce emissions and promote a climate-friendly future. Among other things, the project to avoid food waste was praised by delivering high-quality meals to correctional facilities or returning leftover food to the cycle.
An extremely innovative project was also recognized in the circular economy category. Mycrobez AG took the win here and won the 10,000 Swiss francs in prize money. Mycrobez has developed a process that revolutionizes the recycling of waste materials and thus makes a significant contribution to the circular economy. Specifically, organic materials that were previously disposed of in poor quality are upgraded by fungi to create a climate-positive material that can keep up with conventional packaging material in terms of quality and properties and can even be returned to the natural cycle as fertilizer after use.
Other finalists included Renera AG, Studiocolony GmbH and Zirkular GmbH. All three companies impressed with their creative approaches to promoting sustainable business models and proved that environmental protection and entrepreneurial success can go hand in hand. Kaffeemacher GmbH won the audience award worth 3,000 francs, which was determined by online voting.
The Basel-Stadt Climate Award is more than just an awards ceremony. The competition aims to show that economic success and climate protection can go hand in hand. The value of the prizes – a total of 23,000 francs – underlines the importance attached to this award.
Reto Baumgartner, director of the Basel-Stadt trade association, summed it up in his remarks: “With this award, we are clearly demonstrating that ecological commitment and economic success are not mutually exclusive, but can reinforce each other.” The Basel-Stadt Climate Award is intended to motivate other companies to also take sustainable measures and thus contribute to a more climate-friendly economy.
The first presentation of the Basel-Stadt Climate Award was a complete success. It showed that Basel SMEs can play a key role in achieving climate goals. The trade association and its partners are already looking forward to the next edition of the Climate Award, which will surely once again put numerous innovative and sustainable projects in the spotlight.
This evening was not only a celebration of sustainability. It was also a strong signal for the future: climate protection and entrepreneurial success belong together – and Basel-Stadt is ready to consistently continue down this path and be a role model in Switzerland. (Press release from the Basel-Stadt Trade Association)
For further information please contact:
Reto Baumgartner, Director of the Basel-Stadt Trade Association: Telephone 061 227 50 10
Daniel Schindler, Head of Media Office, Basel-Stadt Trade Association: Telephone 079 545 18 38
