ENERTRAG AG is one of the leading suppliers of renewable energy in Germany. Its core business is wind energy. ENERTRAG is an integrated provider, that is, it covers all steps from planning and financing to operating and maintaining wind energy plants. ENERTRAG’s headquarters is located in a rural area marked by a declining population, making it especially difficult to recruit suitable employees. The company meets this challenge with a number of innovative measures, ranging from tailor-made training to special incentives for newly recruited employees. The case study was prepared in December

PELAN S.A. was established in 2008 to handle waste in an environmentally advanced way. It was a landmark investment in the recycling sector of the Peloponnese, a relatively backward region in terms of established environmental practices. It is an interesting case as it differs from other sector companies in combining several varied activities: the collection and transportation of waste electronic and electric equipment (WEEE), end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling and solid industrial waste management. Introduction Recycling rates in Greece are still low in relation to the requirements of the

Sofiyska Voda is part of the Veolia Water Group and is the largest water utility company in Bulgaria, providing water supply and sewage services to the capital, Sofia. In 2009, Sofiyska Voda introduced combined heat and power technology for energy production from the bio-gas produced at the sludge digestion facility at its Kubratovo waste-water treatment plant. The case study illustrates how this new green technology contributes to reducing carbon emissions and the operational costs of the company, and its impact on employment and skills development. While not creating new jobs, the new

Ecocem is an Irish-owned SME in the construction industry. Ecocem was established in 2001 with the purpose to be 100% green in terms of all jobs created and to produce and promote the use of a single green product (green cement). As the product is both green and high quality value-added, the company appears to have a competitive advantage over rivals in conventional building materials firms. In terms of job quantity and quality, the company has not made any employees compulsorily redundant in the ongoing recession and it seems to score well on various facets of job quality. Introduction