It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to today's ceremony during which we will award actions, practices and policies that contribute to the protection of the natural environment and human health. This year's ceremony is part of the European Week for Waste Prevention, which aims to promote actions to reduce and sustainably manage waste.
After a two-year break, due to the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, we are back again for the Green Public Procurement Awards for 2022.
At the same time, today we are rewarding practices of catering, hospitality and manufacturing businesses for reducing food waste, as part of the Life Food Print project. The Environment Department is a partner in the project and the awards are organised in cooperation with the Federation of Employers and Industrialists and other partners.
We will also award today the certificates of the European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, known as EMAS, to businesses and organisations participating in it for the first time.
The Green Public Procurement Awards are an institution organised by the Department of Environment, in cooperation with the Cyprus Energy Office. They were first awarded in 2014 and, since then, have been warmly embraced by all stakeholders. The high participation of stakeholders, both from the public and private sector, proves the point. Green Contracts are an important tool for incentivising organisations and businesses to develop green products and services, save resources and reduce the use of chemicals and hazardous substances. The awards, as a result of everyone's collective and methodical efforts, convey promising messages for a greener economy and, more broadly, for the protection of the environment.
One of the most important challenges we have to deal with today is food waste, which is often indiscriminate and causes economic, social and environmental impacts across the planet. The latest data on this issue is truly staggering. According to the latest research, the food that ends up in the garbage can meet the needs of all the undernourished people in the world at least four times over. At European level, the annual food waste amounts to almost 179 kg per capita, which equates to an economic waste of EUR 140 billion per year. In environmental terms, this waste represents 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the supply chain. It is therefore obvious that the transition to sustainable food systems is a necessity. For this reason, the European Union has adopted the strategy "From Farm to Plate", which aims at a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food production, distribution and consumption system.
The "Life FoodPrint" project, through which hospitality, catering and processing companies are currently being awarded for their good practices, makes an important contribution to the effort both to drastically reduce food waste and to rationally manage organic waste. I warmly congratulate the award-winning businesses, whose practices make a significant contribution to meeting the targets we have set to promote green growth.
Specifically on the serious issue of organic waste management, our Ministry has promoted and is implementing the establishment of source separation and separate collection systems for municipal waste, including organic waste, as well as the implementation of the "Pay as I Throw" system as an incentive for citizens to reduce and properly sort their waste for reuse and recycling.
The ritual of today's event includes the awarding of certificates of the European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, known as EMAS, to businesses and organisations participating in it for the first time. By participating in EMAS, these organisations aim, among other things, to reduce costs associated with resource and waste management, minimise environmental risks, improve relations with their staff and enhance their credibility, transparency and reputation vis-à-vis their customers. The EMAS registration process is transparent and reliable, and is audited by an independent third party.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the Central Bank of Cyprus for embracing and supporting the Green Contract Awards in recent years, as well as the Environment Department, the Cyprus Energy Office and OEB for organising today's event. I would also like to thank and congratulate all the entities receiving awards today, for their significant action in the direction of the green economy and environmental protection.
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