Offshore engineering firm Aquaterra Energy has been announced as the winner of the Environmental and Sustainability Award, sponsored by Norse Group, at the Norfolk Business Awards 2022.

Headquartered in Norwich and with additional offices in the UK, Norway, Perth and Egypt, Aquaterra Energy provides equipment and solutions to the global offshore energy industry, from seabed to surface, oil and gas to wind and hydrogen, and has supported customers across the globe. 

The judges said that Aquaterra has “generated a good framework for establishing its environmental impact and is taking proactive steps to address its sustainability” – particularly commendable in “an environment that is heavily reliant on fossil fuels”. 

Aquaterra demonstrated that it is “committed to making business change” by building in commitments to Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), looking at using local support to reduce the need for air travel and embracing the use of locally-sourced products in engineering and design to reduce its impact. 

“It’s an amazing achievement to win the Environmental and Sustainability Award this year,” said Louise Thompson, marketing director at Aquaterra. “A lot of work goes into furthering our environmental awareness and actively seeking sustainable solutions to improve our own day-to-day operations, and those of our customers. To be recognised for those efforts is a credit to our entire team.

“Norfolk is full of incredible businesses doing some incredible things,” she added. “It’s important to come together to recognise those achievement, and to celebrate each other’s successes.”

 

About the sponsor

The Norse Group is the UK’s largest local authority-trading company, combining commercial know-how and public service values to provide services to local authorities through partnerships. 

Based in Norfolk and operating across England and Wales, it employs around 4,000 people locally and 9,000 nationally. Its brand of ethical commercialism makes it different to its private sector competitors; it shares the same values as local authorities, with a firm focus on protecting the environment, delivering social value, and meeting the strictest governance criteria. Every year the group returns millions of pounds to the public purse.

 

The finalists

Buzz Off 

Founded by wildlife management expert Louise Chapman, Buzz Off provides safe and professional live honey bee swarm removal services throughout East Anglia. 

The business showed the judges that it “has clearly set a vision for the future”, investing time and resources into ensuring that as many bee colonies as possible survive relocation. 

 

Mobilityways 

Mobilityways in Norwich produces climate tech to help large employers across the UK measure, reduce and report their commuter emissions in pursuit of their net-zero goals.

The judges said that Mobilityways offers “an excellent solution to mitigate considerable impact from employee commuting”, and demonstrates a “continued drive” to change behaviours and embrace new technologies. 

 

SaxonAir Charter 

SaxonAir Charter is an aviation business operating six jets and six helicopters around the UK and Europe and caring for a variety of aircraft at Norwich Airport. 

The judges said that Saxon Air is “taking some proactive steps to reduce its overall impact”, such as discussions on implementing sustainable aviation fuel, and “should be highlighted as a beacon within the aviation industry”.