Feronia winner 2024: Together for a better tomorrow

“A wonderful example of what is happening in the country when it comes to sustainability,” said Oberbank General Director and host Franz Gasselsberger about the submissions for the Feronia Sustainability Prize. The winners were honored at a celebratory gala on Thursday evening in Linz. Their joy and that of the more than 1,000 guests who celebrated with them was great. The prize should be an incentive, especially for smaller companies, to make greater efforts on the issue of sustainability. There is a lot of catching up to do there.

“Upper Austria is on the way” towards sustainability, said Governor Thomas Stelzer, a sign that economic growth has become decoupled from energy consumption. He defined Upper Austria’s “major project” for the future as the “massive strengthening of public transport”.

The deputy OÖNachrichten editor-in-chief Dietmar Mascher encouraged the guests to also implement climate protection measures in their private lives. This can be done in a playful way App Climate Challenge, which was developed by the JKU Energy Institute. “Start small to achieve big things,” says Mascher.

No honey licking, but great opportunity

State Economics Councilor Markus Achleitner (ÖVP) admitted that the path towards a circular economy for Upper Austria is “no problem”, especially as a business and industrial location. However, he also pointed out the “incredible opportunities” that lie therein, as long as one does not forget to take competitiveness into account.

Feronia jury member Thomas Gaber from Feronia partner KPMG called for a correction in the “regulatory force” of the many sustainability regulations. What is certain is that “non-sustainable companies will not find suppliers and customers in the future.”

The sustainability prize was awarded for the second time this year for climate-conscious and intergenerational companies and projects/schools.

The artist Christine Perseis, who lives in Mondsee, has cast the gentle goddess Feronia, who protects the world, in bronze in an inimitable way.
Image: (Volker Weihbold)

The shining winners of the four categories are:

Schachinger Logistik Holding GmbH in Hörsching (“thoroughly sustainable”), a pioneer in its industry

feronia — Schachinger logistics
Image: VOLKER WEIHBOLD

Hueck Folien GmbH, Baumgartenberg (sustainable products and services)

Small town biotope Vöcklabruck – an association to revitalize the city center in the “market hall” (diversity of sustainability)

That was the Feronia Gala 2024 — The small town biotope Vöcklabruck won in the “Diversity of Sustainability” category. Sebastian Thon, club chairwoman Petra Wimmer, Eva De Michele, Kati Petrovic and Manuela Koch (from left) were very happy
Image: VOLKER WEIHBOLD

Elementary school 4 Wels-Pernau. In this school, more than 300 children in 17 classes are taught sustainability in a special way (learning and teaching sustainably).

The top-class jury, which also included last year’s winners, was spoiled for choice: In the end, the seven most promising applicants were nominated from the almost 200 submissions in four categories and in the end the ones with the highest points were chosen as the winners.

The winners each received 5,000 euros in prize money and a media package from OÖNachrichten worth 9,000 euros.

Science Busters and climate protection: With alcohol from the “Schnapsstraße”

The “Science Busters” provided entertainment throughout the evening with their science cabaret. Martin Puntigam and Florian Freistetter explained humorously and clearly with a dry ice demonstration why it is not a good idea to define Mars as Planet B as a refuge from climate change on planet Earth, and what the melting of the polar caps of Mars and Earth with the penguin has to do with the feces effect. The listeners learned why we can’t drink away climate change with interstellar alcohol, even if it exists in the Milky Way (which should actually be called “Schnapsstraße”) and that a “repair site from Linz” could possibly be considered a small contribution to climate protection.

In addition to OÖN and Oberbank, the jury included: Thomas Gaber (KPMG), Elke Ludewig (Sonnblick Observatorium), Janet Kuschert (Sindbad Holding), Heidrun Kopp (Inafina), Katharina Muner-Sammer (ÖGUT), Günther Reifer (Terra Institute), Nastassja Cernko (OeKB), last year’s winners Katrin Helmberger (Fronius), Christian Beck (Beck Fastening) and Wolfgang Pfoser-Almer (WeFair).