22 Carinthian Companies awarded with the Austrian Ecolabel at Lake Weissensee
On February 9, 2024, 22 sustainably managed companies were awarded the Austrian Ecolabel by Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler at the Weißensee Haus in Techendorf at Lake Weißensee, Carinthia.
As part of the "Wise on Ice" project and the 2024 Ice Music Festival at Lake Weissensee, numerous representatives of the companies now licensed with the Austrian Ecolabel as well as guests from politics, the media and local partners attended the award ceremony. Due to the rainy weather, the event could not be held outdoors and was therefore moved to the Weißensee Haus in Techendorf. At the beginning, the guests were welcomed by the managing director of Naturparke Kärnten and moderator of the event, Robert Heuberger, the mayor of the municipality of Weißensee, Karoline Turnschek, and state councilor Sara Schaar.
Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler
Austrian Eco-label award for companies
The companies were then presented with the certificate for the Austrian Ecolabel by Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler. Two companies also received the EU Ecolabel. Numerous tourism businesses such as Pension Kamenhof, Hotel zum Weissensee, Leonhard, Haus Waldfriede, Biohotel Gralhof and Ferienwohnungen Knaller-Möd were among those awarded. But it wasn't just businesses from Lake Weissensee that took part, two event agencies from the Green Meetings & Green Events sector were also represented: the Austrian Association of Green Hospitals and NLW Tourismus Marketing GmbH. Two educational institutes were also honored, the educational institute "Blickwinkel ändern" and the institute FREI[RAUM] für Klein und Groß. A special guest was Florian Pointner, who founded the Biohotel Pointner in 1973, has held the Austrian Ecolabel since 1997 and was the first hotel in Austria to be awarded the EU Ecolabel.
Florian Pointner, founder of the Biohotel Pointner
Commitment of companies required, eco-label a strong instrument
After the award ceremony, Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler concluded by emphasizing the importance of the eco-label as a powerful instrument against climate change and as a significant sign of the commitment of businesses. She emphasized that the tourism industry must also react to current and future climatic changes so that Lake Weissensee can be preserved in the best possible way. Once again, she also highlighted the relevance of further initiatives by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology: companies and private individuals can receive significantly higher funding amounts with the new renovation subsidies and the phase-out of oil and gas and thus contribute even more to climate protection. The "klimaaktiv" initiative has also not gone unmentioned.
Eco-label award ceremony for a company
The successful award ceremony was concluded with a Carinthian Ritschert. The event was certified as a Green Event.
The Austrian Ecolabel has been the only comprehensively state-certified environmental seal in Austria for over 30 years and is awarded to organizations and companies that assume social responsibility and have decided to operate in a particularly sustainable manner.