10th April 2012

Cafédirect shortlisted for European Business Award

Cafédirect, the UK’s largest ethical hot drinks brand, has been selected to represent the UK at the 2012 European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE) in the new category of Business and Biodiversity.

The EBAEs are granted to forward-thinking companies that successfully combine innovation, competitiveness and outstanding environmental performance. Cafédirect is one of only three UK businesses to go through this year, with 156 companies from across Europe entering in total, all of whom have won accredited environmental award schemes in the past two years. The other UK finalists are Marks and Spencer in the Management category and Aquamarine Power in the Product category.

Cafédirect has been shortlisted for its ground-breaking work with smallholder tea and coffee grower partners on adaptation to climate change (AdapCC). This pioneering scheme was developed by Cafédirect as increasing reports on the devastating effect of climate change by grower partners highlighted substantial risks both to smallholder livelihoods and to the future availability of coffee, tea and cocoa. AdapCC has already been picked up by other international NGOs and been used to shape government policy.

To qualify, Cafédirect won the following awards over the past two years:

• Winner of the Social Impact Award at Guardian Sustainable Business Awards 2011
• Winner of the Sustainable Procurement Award at Sustainable City Awards 2009/10
• Major Commendation for the SME Premier Award at BCE Awards 2010
• Highly Commended for the Sustainable Finance Award at Sustainable City Awards 2009/10

Wolfgang Weinmann, head of Impact and Sustainability at Cafédirect, said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award. AdapCC perfectly demonstrates the unique way we at Cafédirect do business and how our direct relationships with our grower partners leads to a unique understanding of the challenges on the ground. Here at Cafédirect we are very proud of the fact that this methodology is now being replicated around the world.”

The 14 finalists for the EBAEs come from Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Slovakia, Finland and the UK. The winners will be announced in Brussels on 24 May 2012, during Green Week, the European Commission’s annual conference on environment policy.