The Ministry supports companies which introduce environmentally friendly products and production techniques. It offers pilot projects, a rich supply of information material and grant programmes. One important focus is the establishment of industrial environmental protection as part of the management of companies. The Ministry runs various advisory programmes which support small and medium-sized enterprises. Financial support is also provided for the development of environmental management systems based on the European “ECO Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)” whenever several companies opt for joint implementation “in convoy”. The Ministry itself has the certificate according EMAS since 2001 und presents every year the improvement in its environmental performance to an external expert.
The State of Baden-Württemberg’s Umweltpreis für Unternehmen [Environmental Prize for Companies] is awarded for business commitment and performance which has made a decisive and exemplary contribution to protecting and conserving our environment. The environmental prize is awarded every two years, alternately with the environmental technology prize. The prize was awarded for the first time in 1993.