SARAJEVO, JUNE 15 (ONASA) – At a ceremony held at the Youth Theater in Sarajevo, the fifth, jubilee generation of business leaders of sustainable development in BiH was promoted.
This award is given as part of the program “Framework for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a Foundation for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina” (SDG2BIH)”, a joint initiative funded by Sweden and implemented by UNDP in partnership with UNICEF and UN Women as part of the UN’s support to the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the implementation of the Framework for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in BiH.
The award for business leaders of sustainable development is awarded every year with the aim of promoting the efforts and engagement of the private sector in the field of sustainable development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The award for 2023 was focused on companies that create and retain quality jobs and actively reduce their impact on the environment.
The application process for the Award lasted from January 1 of this year until the end of March 2023.
Last night marked the celebration of business successes achieved by companies during 2022.
The award for business leaders of sustainable development in BiH continues to grow every year.
This year, a record 114 companies applied, which represents a 34% increase compared to the previous year, when 85 companies applied.
These businesses submitted a whopping 180 applications, an increase of as much as 75% compared to 2022 when a total of 103 applications were received.
“Representatives of the private sector who take significant actions to create better jobs, inclusiveness, development and application of technologies aimed at environmental protection and mitigating climate change, actively contribute to the implementation of the SDGs. More importantly, they also create opportunities for the youth of Bosnia and Herzegovina to stay in the country and build a better and more sustainable future for themselves and the generations to come,” said Johanna Strömquist, Swedish Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The award for business leaders of sustainable development is awarded for the thematic areas “People” and “Resources and Environment”, and the absolute winner for Bosnia and Herzegovina was chosen from among the companies that applied in both thematic areas.
Within the thematic area “People”, awards are given to those companies that inspire others in terms of creating quality jobs and retaining talent, and this year’s winners are Dekonta BH in the category of micro-enterprises, SEEBA in the category of small enterprises, Klika in the category of medium-sized enterprises and GS Tvornica machine in the category of large enterprises.
In the thematic area “Resources and environment”, the winners for micro and small businesses are ZEOS eco-system and Smrčak.
In this category, the winners for medium and large companies are also Klika and GS Tvornica mašina.
The absolute winner of the Award for business leaders of sustainable development in BiH for 2023 is the company that also won the highest number of points for compliance with the GRI standard (Global Reporting Initiative) and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e. Klik.
“We are proud that through all these years, with a strategic approach based on our values, and together with our team, we have created a company that truly lives everything that has been recognized through these awards. The victory in all three categories is a clear sign that Klika’s commitment to the elements of healthy and quality living and business, to people and the environment, is the right direction that we will firmly stick to in the future. We from Klika are grateful to UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina for this project and the opportunity to be heard, not only for positive practices in Klika, but also for the positive practices of many companies from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, whom we also congratulate on this occasion for their commitment , nominations and awards”, said Samir Eljazović, CEO of Klika.
The award for sustainable development business leaders recognizes and emphasizes the efforts of companies from the private sector in terms of realizing the Sustainable Development Goals in BiH and motivating new participants in the private sector to include the Sustainable Development Goals in their business models.
The official partner of this Award is the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This partnership aims to improve cooperation and raise awareness of the importance of sustainable business, circular economy, digitization and decarbonization in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Awarded companies prioritize ethical and responsible business practices, caring for the community, using renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources, and reducing waste as a priority. The private sector in BiH provides a long-term perspective in actively improving the lives of citizens in BiH, because it invests great effort in the development of services and technologies that are safe for the environment and people,” said Steliana Nedera, resident representative of UNDP in BiH.
This year’s Sustainable Development Business Leaders Award is focused on companies that create quality jobs and retain talent while actively working to decarbonize their business activities. 31 companies entered the final round, where the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) were used as the basis of the evaluation methodology for the 180 applications received, and the evaluation process was led by an independent panel of experts led by Professor Vjekoslav Domljan.