The MOME Sustainability Office received the Business category award for the MOME Zero programme at the award ceremony held on Saturday at the Eiffel Art Studios. 

The Business category recognises organisations whose work makes a meaningful contribution to sustainable development and the circular economy. Key criteria for reviewing submissions include the development and introduction of innovative products, services or processes; corporate practices and governance systems that support environmental sustainability; and international collaborations with companies, NGOs or research institutions that help promote the widespread adoption of sustainable solutions. Another important consideration for the jury was how applicants’ activities contribute to preserving biodiversity, as well as the measurable environmental results they can demonstrate through their work. 

Launched and partly funded by the MOME Foundation, the MOME Zero programme began in 2022 with the involvement of university staff. It is designed to make Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Hungary’s first carbon-neutral university, and incorporate sustainability principles into campus operations, teaching, and community programmes. As part of the programme, the university is working with three Hungarian national parks to create new continuous-cover forests and natural habitats, with students and staff taking an active role. These efforts also support the development of responsible, environmentally aware designers and artists. 

The initiative also includes water retention measures, efforts to increase biodiversity across the Hegyvidék Campus, the operation of an on-site apiary, composting facilities, and a community garden, as well as a scrap materials library where students can source supplies for their projects and ideas. MOME Zero has attracted attention not only in Hungary but internationally. Several foreign higher education institutions are now studying the initiative, a development further reinforced by this latest professional recognition.