# German Environmental Prize

The German Environmental Prize (German:Deutscher Umweltpreis) is a government-sponsored award for protecting the environment. Worth €500,000, it is one of the most valuable environmental awards in Europe.
The sponsor German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt [de], DBU) is based in Osnabrück; the prize has been awarded by the President of Germany since 1993. The prize is awarded for "commitment and achievements that make a decisive and exemplary contribution to the protection and preservation of our environment now and in the future".

## Winners

Source:
| Year | Winner | Reason |
| 1993 | Foron Hausgeräte GmbH [de] | Works on the first worldwide refrigerators without FCKW and FKW |
| 1993 | Wolfgang Haber | Popularisation of environmental issues |
| 1994 | Paul Crutzen and Frank Arnold | Works on ozone depletion |
| 1994 | Verein Ökospeicher and the city of Wulkow | Environmentally friendly works in non urban regions |
| 1994 | Umweltinitiativen der Wirtschaft in Ostwestfalen | Implementation of higher environment standards |
| 1995 | Georg Winter | Environmentally friendly management |
| 1995 | Klaus Günther | Environmentally friendly management |
| 1996 | Maciej Nowicki | Founder of the Polish Environment Foundation |
| 1996 | Wilkhahn Wilkening & Hahne GmbH & Co. | Icon in environment controlling |
| 1997 | Michael Otto | Environment management system by Otto GmbH |
| 1997 | Bernhard Ulrich [de] | Material and energy flows in forests |
| 1997 | Integral Energietechnik GmbH | Work on environmentally friendly Refrigerants |
| 1998 | Lennart Bengtsson, Hartmut Graßl, Klaus Hasselmann (Workgroup Klimaforschung by Max Planck Institute for Meteorology) | Global and regional climate modelling |
| 1998 | Georg Salvamoser [de] | Works in Photovoltaics |
| 1999 | Klaus Steilmann [de] | Oecology in textiles and clothing |
| 1999 | Wilhelm Barthlott | Lotus effect by Surface |
| 2000 | Franz Daschner [de] | Environment and material flow management in Hospitals |
| 2000 | Aloys Wobben | Work on Wind turbines |
| 2001 | Hermann Auernhammer [de] | Work on Precision Farming |
| 2001 | Franz Ehrnsperger [de], Neumarkter Lammsbräu [de] | Work on oecology management concepts for breweries |
| 2001 | Wolfgang Feist | Work on Passivhaus concepts |
| 2002 | Peter Lüth | Biological pest control using microorganisms |
| 2002 | Klaus Töpfer | International engagement on environmental issues |
| 2003 | Claus Mattheck [de] | Work on Bionik |
| 2003 | Hermann Josef Schulte | Work on environmentally friendly exhaust gas technology for automotive engineering |
| 2004 | Alfred Heinrich Jung [de] | Work on a new Gasket principle for the chemistry industry |
| 2004 | Garabed Antranikian [de] | Pioneer of white biotechnology |
| 2004 | Hannelore Schmidt | Life Work |
| 2005 | Berndt Heydemann [de] | Founder of Zukunftszentrum Mensch-Natur-Technik-Wissenschaft [de] in Nieklitz |
| 2005 | Joachim Luther | Use of Solar energy |
| 2005 | Heinz Sielmann | Life's Work |
| 2006 | Hans Georg Huber [de] | Technology transfer for water cleaning in developing countries |
| 2006 | Ernst-Detlef Schulze [de] | Work on Global warming |
| 2007 | Beate Weber [de] | Engagement for environment and climate |
| 2007 | Carl Schmitt and Jürgen Köhler (both Konvekta AG [de]) | Work on Environmentally friendly refrigerants |
| 2007 | Hans Joachim Schellnhuber | Work on climate |
| 2008 | Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker | Environmental politician and counsellor for UNO |
| 2008 | Holger Zinke [de] | Work on Biocatalysis by ground organisms |
| 2009 | Carsten Bührer | |
| 2009 | Petra Bültmann-Steffin [de] | |
| 2009 | Bo Barker Jørgensen | |
| 2009 | Angelika Zahrnt [de] | |
| 2010 | Winfried Barkhausen [de]/Edwin Büchter [de] | |
| 2010 | Mikhail Gorbachev | |
| 2010 | Rainer Griesshammer [de] | |
| 2011 | Jürgen Schmidt | |
| 2011 | Joachim Alfred and Joachim Georg Wünning | |
| 2012 | Andreas Bett [de] and Hansjörg Lerchenmüller | |
| 2012 | Günther Kramer | |
| 2013 | Carmen Hock-Heyl [de] | |
| 2013 | Ursula Sladek | |
| 2014 | Peter Hennicke [de] | Energy efficiency expert |
| 2014 | Gunther Krieg | Scientist and founder of UNISENSOR |
| 2014 | Hubert Weinzierl [de] | Honorary award |
| 2015 | Mojib Latif | Outstanding research communication (climate researcher) |
| 2015 | Johan Rockström | Founding director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre |
| 2015 | Michael Succow | Honorary award for exceptional personality in nature conservation |
| 2016 | Bas van Abel | Founder and CEO of company Fairphone for being a pioneer for more resource efficiency in the smartphone industry |
| 2016 | Angelika Mettke [de] and Walter Feess [de] | Betonrecycling |
| 2017 | German Green Belt | |
| 2017 | Johannes Oswald and Bernhard Oswald [de] | |
| 2017 | Tony de Brum | Honorary award |
| 2018 | Antje Boetius | |
| 2018 | Leipzig Waste Water Experts | |
| 2019 | Ingrid Kögel-Knabner | |
| 2019 | Reinhard Schneider | |
| 2020 | Ottmar Edenhofer | |
| 2020 | Annika Roth [de] (née Trappmann) and Hugo Trappmann [de] | |
| 2020 | Martin Sorg | Honorary award for biodiversity |
| 2021 | Katrin Böhning-Gaese | |
| 2021 | Hans Joosten [de] | |
| 2022 | Friedrich Mewis und Dirk Lehmann | Becker Mewis Duct |
| 2022 | Christof Schenck | Engagement for biodiversity and rainforests |
| 2022 | Myriam Rapior [de] and Kathrin Muus [de] | Honorary awards |
| 2023 | Friederike Otto | climate scientist |
| 2023 | Dagmar Fritz-Kramer [de] | wood construction pioneer |
| 2024 | Franziska Tanneberger [de] | moor researcher |
| 2024 | Thomas Speidel | e-mobility pioneer |