The winners of the South Karelia environmental award and some of the jury members. — In the picture from the left, Ilkka Räsänen (City of Lappeenranta), Mikko Heikkilä (Lappeenranta-Saimaa Rotary Club), Hanna Värri (Lappeenranta Region Steiner School Support Association), Leena Ojala (Lappeenranta Region Steiner School Support Association), Jussi Karjalainen (Southeast Finland Cooperative Bank), Aleksi Porhola (Elstor Oy), Janne Hokkanen (LUT University), Mikko Tielinen (Elstor Oy), Sanna Hämäläinen (City of Imatra) and Mika Peltonen (South Karelia Chamber of Commerce).

The South Karelia Chamber of Commerce announces: The winner of the South Karelia Environmental Award 2024 competition has been selected

South Karelia's first environmental award was shared between two actors, Elstor Oy and Lappeenranta region's steiner school support association.

The winner of the first South Karelia Environmental Award competition has been decided. The prize is divided between two winners. The winners are Lappeenranta-based Elstor Oy, which develops thermal battery storage, and Lappeenranta region's steiner school support association.

The award was presented to the winners at the Open Doors and Greenreality carnival event of the city of Lappeenranta on 29.8.2024. The award was received by the technology manager from Elstor Aleksi Porkola and product development engineer Mikko Tielinen and executive director of the support association from Steinerkoulu in Lappeenranta Leena Ojala, member of the board Hanna Värri, executor of the school garden Terhi Hirvikallio as well as a few school students.

Top technology and school environmental education are the environmental achievements of the year

2024 applications were received by the deadline for the South Karelia Environmental Award 24 competition. There were applications from both individuals and various communities. The award committee decided to split the prize in two so that both will receive 5000 euros as a prize.

Acoording to the Chairman of the award committee Mika Peltonen the award committee was very satisfied with the number of applications and especially with their content. We wanted to share the award between two different, but strong and progressive operators.

- Elstor Oy is a perfect example of a South Karelian enterprise focused on environmental technology. The company's solution replaces fossil fuels in industrial operations.

− Lappeenranta region's steiner school support association implements diverse environmental education for children in the Lappeenranta steiner school it maintains. "When you want to see the future, turn your eyes to the younger generation," says Peltonen about the award committee's reasoning.

The competition highlights local expertise

The goal of the South Karelia Environmental Award competition, which was launched for the first time last spring, is to promote a green transition in the region, highlight local environmental expertise and increase the publicity of local environmental actions.

The prize was awarded by the award committee, which consisted of members of the following organizations: OP Kaakkois-Suomi, Lappeenranta-Saimaa Rotary Club, LUT University, City of Lappeenranta, City of Imatra, South Karelia Chamber of Commerce, newspaper Etelä-Saimaa and Etelä-Karjalan Yrittäjät. The award was also financed by the Raija and Ossi Tuuliainen Foundation.

The South Karelia Environmental Award was awarded for the first time. The continuation of the award will be decided later.

For more information:

chairman of the award committee, Mika Peltonen, mika.peltonenkauppakamari.fi (mika[dot]peltonen[at]kauppakamari[dot]fi), tel. 040 513 4490

Representatives of the winners:

CEO Kari Suninen, Elstor Oy, kari.suninenelstor.fi (kari[dot]suninen[at]elstor[dot]fi), tel. 040 558 3706

executive director Leena Ojala, Lappeenranta Steinerkoulu Support Association, lpr. steinerkoululprsteinerkoulu.net (lpr[dot]steinerkoulu[at]lprsteinerkoulu[dot]net), tel. 044 767 7731