ECO: resonance, repetition of an emitted sound, spread of an idea  Português

Created by the American Chamber of Commerce-AMCHAM- in 1982, the Eco Award was pioneer in the acknowledgement of companies which adopt responsible social practices triggering a fruitful consideration about the sustainable entrepreneurial development in Brazil.

The name "Eco" came from the union of two words enterprise and community reflecting its proponents´ intention to transform it into a corporate commitment instrument combined with social development.

The award is one of the main initiatives in the Entrepreneurial Citizenship area at Amcham. It has already mobilized 1723 Brazilian and Multinational companies, responsible for registering 2118 projects of which 174 were awarded.

Along the years, the Eco Award has distinguished itself by forecasting historical trends, as well as influencing companies’ commitment with sustainability. Its format and content followed the topic’s development and the Entrepreneurial Social Responsibility practice in Brazil and around the world.

The award’s history can be described in three stages:

1982 a 1988
Acknowledgement was granted to projects regardless of its field of action, and there were no specific categories.

1989 a 2004
Social projects were awarded in different categories, such as: Education, Culture, Environment, Health and Community Participation.

2005 a 2007
Acknowledgements started to be granted in two areas - Entrepreneurial Management for Sustainability (SEM), and Social Entrepreneurial Responsibility Practices (SERP), the latter subdivided in 5 categories: Workforce, Environment, Suppliers, Consumers and Clients and Community.

The award was extended to all levels of performing companies in Brazil including state-run companies segmented by size, what encouraged the participation of small and medium-sized ones. After the implementation of the official site, applying and sending data regarding projects were automatically done on line. Besides rendering agility to the process, this expedient eliminated the use of paper and standardized the way juror visualize projects.

Awarding ceremonies counted with the presence of dignitaries engaged in the area, such as Norway’s former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, who created the concept of Sustainable Development, Hazel Henderson who is a leader of international social movements and Al Gore who was Bill Clinton’s vice-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2007.

In 2007, the 25-year- old award, was celebrated with a series of innovations devised specially for the occasion, resulting in a record of applications: 158 projects were presented by 102 companies. In the (EMS) category a second stage was introduced for project assessment – besides the initial assessment, the three best projects of each size, started to be reexamined by a jury panel which hadn’t participated on the first one. The three finalists of each category were previously announced; however, the winners were only known during the awarding ceremony. Another unprecedented element, was the creation of an eco-friendly trophy made from recycled materials by a team of artists.

The 2008 version

This year, there have been criteria changes concerning the stipulation of companies sizes, which started to be defined by the gross operational revenue of the applicants’ previous term.

Two areas remained valid (EMS) Entrepreneurial Management for Sustainability and (SERP) Social Entrepreneurial Responsibility Practices, the latter subdivided in five categories: Workforce, Environment, Suppliers, Consumers and Clients and Community

Regarding the judgment process, it has been defined that projects from both categories will be assessed in two stages: the first by a jury panel as it was done in previous years, and the second through the internet, directed to a specific public. The three best assessed projects on the first stage will pass to the second concerning category and size.