Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for climate protection not to be forgotten in the face of other problems. "We must not neglect climate protection just because it does not attract the greatest public interest or because there are no spectacular protests," said Steinmeier in Chemnitz at this year's German Environmental Award ceremony.
The Federal President praised the "pioneering spirit, the palpable curiosity and the fearlessness to try something new" of the award winners. This year's award, which comes with half a million euros in prize money, is shared by a Swiss climate researcher and a company from North Rhine-Westphalia for its resource-saving galvanizing process.
With prize money of half a million euros
The German Environmental Award is presented annually by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) for special achievements in the protection and preservation of the environment. According to the DBU, it is one of the most highly endowed environmental awards in Europe. The prize is being awarded for the 33rd time.
According to the DBU, Swiss climate researcher Sonia Isabelle Seneviratne, Professor at ETH Zurich and Vice President of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has developed new findings on the climate system - in particular on how soil moisture, plants and global warming influence each other.
The management duo Lars Baumgürtel and Birgitt Bendiek of the Gelsenkirchen-based steel galvanizing company Zinq received the award for the development of an innovative galvanizing process ("microzinc") that saves resources and energy in corrosion protection. According to the company, the process can reduce the zinc coating by up to 80 percent.
A link to Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture
In his speech, Steinmeier also made a link from environmental protection to Chemnitz as this year's European Capital of Culture. Its motto "C the unseen" - which means "Look at the unseen" - fits in with the German Environmental Award 2025, said Steinmeier, especially with regard to the soil as the basis of all human life. Steinmeier was referring to climate researcher Seneviratne, who pointed out the barely visible but measurable connection between soil moisture and climate change. According to the DBU, drought forecasts and climate adaptation can be derived from soil moisture values.
Bonde called for environmental and climate protection to be seen as part of the solution for economic recovery. "Ecology is the engine of the economy," said Bonde.
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