The DNP honours pioneering contributions to the transformation towards a sustainable future. It uses the best examples to show how ecological and social progress can be achieved more quickly. The award aims to motivate all key players to embrace change, connect them across borders and encourage partnerships.
German Sustainability Award Products
The DNP Products awards sustainable products, services and projects with measurable impact. It seeks outstanding innovations that make concrete contributions in the areas of climate, resources, nature, value chains and society.
Competition start: March 2026
German Sustainability Award Health
The German Sustainability Award Health (DNP Health) focuses on the central connection between health and sustainability. In cooperation with BARMER and the Healthy Earth – Healthy People Foundation, it honours initiatives and projects that effectively promote the sustainable transformation of the healthcare system.
The award recognises exemplary measures and innovative solutions in three categories: shaping care, strengthening health and protecting the environment – and thus making concrete contributions to a sustainable, more sustainable healthcare system.
Competition start: 9 March 2026
German Sustainability Award for Architecture
The DNP Architecture, awarded in cooperation with the DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council), recognises pioneering projects in the construction sector. A high-calibre jury of architects and experts identifies pioneers of sustainable transformation in planning and construction. The award honours projects that rethink the construction of tomorrow.
Business Competition
The Business Competition will undergo fundamental changes in 2026. The aim is to achieve a more precise and transparent assessment of transformation achievements in business and industry. The awards will be presented in five key areas of transformation: climate, resources, nature, value chain and society. Measurable contributions to climate protection, resource efficiency, social responsibility and sustainable business practices will be evaluated.
International German Sustainability Award (iDNP)
The International German Sustainability Award (iDNP) recognises global partnerships for the implementation of Agenda 2030. The award honours companies and institutions based in Germany that work together with partners from developing and emerging countries on an equal footing. The focus is on economic cooperation and sustainable development beyond pure supply relationships. The award-winning partnerships are highlighted as examples of good practice in order to spread their impact and encourage others to follow suit. In 2026, the iDNP will continue with its partner PRIMAVERA in order to further strengthen its reach and impact.
Competition start: Spring 2026
Among the 150 participants on four stages were WTO Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Federal Minister Karin Prien, UNIDO Secretary-General Dr Gerd Müller, climate researchers Prof. Johan Rockström and Prof. Mojib Latif, bestselling author Prof. Maja Göpel, publicist Dr Eckart von Hirschhausen and climate activist Vanessa Nakate. Philippe Starck, one of the most influential designers of our time, brought a creative perspective to transformation.
The 100 most successful companies of the year presented their solutions – concrete, cross-industry and practical. For the first time, the congress, award ceremonies and networking came together in an integrated format: compact, high-quality and inspiring. Experience MasterClasses with the best companies, TransMissions in the key areas of transformation and a new networking event for exchange on equal terms. Düsseldorf became a hotspot for the transformation of the economy.
At the award ceremony at the Maritim Hotel Düsseldorf, the winners of the DNP competitions and the best in the five transformation fields of the company award were announced – and the ‘big picture’ of the 100 leading minds of transformation in the German economy emerged.
The Opening Night was started by the DNP Executive Board. Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström, Prof. Dr. Mojib Latif, Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel and Vanessa Nakate were awarded the honorary prize. At the end, a large picture was created for the product prize – a strong start to this year's competition.
Before the opening night on Thursday and the ‘Stage of the Best’ on Friday, the celebrity guests walked down the blue carpet. Around 130 journalists in attendance focused their attention on high-ranking voices in climate and future research, including bestselling author Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel, Prof. Johan Rockström, climate activists Luisa Neubauer and Vanessa Nakate, Prof. Mojib Latif, Domitila Barros, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and H.R.H. Princess Dechan Yangzom Wangchuck.
The transformation congress of the year: #DNP25 lies in the past now – with diverse perspectives, strong impulses, the new MasterClass format and the presentation of the German Sustainability Award for Products. As the only platform of its kind, the DNP became a meeting place for everyone who not only demands sustainability, but also shapes it.
The DNP honoured the extraordinary collaboration between German aromatherapy pioneer PRIMAVERA and the Kingdom of Bhutan with the Special Award of the International German Sustainability Award (IDNP). H.R.H. Princess Dechan Yangzom Wangchuck, sister of the King of Bhutan, and PRIMAVERA founders Ute Leube and Kurt Ludwig Nübling accepted the award on 5 December at #DNP25.
On Friday, December 05. 2025, the ‘big picture’ emerged for the third time in Düsseldorf, a special snapshot of sustainable transformation: the heads of 100 successful industry pioneers came together on stage. Over the course of the evening, the ‘Best of the Best’ were announced, receiving a special award in one of the five areas of transformation.
The renovated and expanded multi-purpose hall in Ingerkingen won the German Sustainability Award for Architecture in 2025. The jury praised the project, designed by Atelier Kaiser Shen, as an outstanding example of ecologically and architecturally convincing further construction in the spirit of the common good. The architecture award for future-oriented building culture was awarded for the 13th time this year by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB e.V.) in conjunction with the German Sustainability Award Foundation (Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V.).
Openness and transparency are core values of the DNP – that is why we have joined the Transparent Civil Society Initiative (ITZ). More communication about methodology, changes to the jury process and more transparent scoring are among the developments for the 18th DNP. Everything you need to know about the rules and governance can be found in a clearly structured document.
In 2025, the collaboration between PRIMAVERA and Bhutan was honoured with the Special Award of the International German Sustainability Award. What once began as a search for natural raw materials has developed into a partnership based on trust, respect and shared goals.
Bhutan, with its maxim of gross national happiness, and PRIMAVERA, with its consistent focus on biodiversity, show how cooperation beyond traditional trade relations can bring about real transformation.
The award recognises the establishment of regional value chains, the promotion of organic farming and the commitment to climate-neutral development. With projects such as ‘Terra Himalaya’, PRIMAVERA strengthens rural structures, supports Bhutan's vision of a sustainable future and creates prospects for people and nature.
The application phase for the German Sustainability Award for Health (DNP Health) begins on 9 March. The award is presented by the German Sustainability Award Foundation in cooperation with BARMER and the Healthy Earth – Healthy People Foundation. The award promotes sustainability in the healthcare sector. An independent jury evaluates the applications.
The Companies competition will undergo fundamental changes in 2026. The aim is to achieve a more precise and transparent assessment of transformation achievements in business and industry. The awards will be presented in five key areas of transformation: climate, resources, nature, value chain and society.
The German Sustainability Award Products honours sustainable products, services and projects with measurable impact. It seeks outstanding innovations that make concrete contributions to sustainable development in the areas of climate, resources, nature, value chains and society. Competition start: March 2026
The German Sustainability Award for Architecture is entering its 14th round. Together with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), the award honours pioneering construction and urban development projects that consistently combine ecological, economic and social sustainability in planning, construction and use, and rethink the sustainable construction of tomorrow. Competition start: March 2026
More communication on methodology, changes to jury processes and more transparent scoring – these are some of the developments at the 18th German Sustainability Award. Everything you need to know about the DNP rules and governance can be found in a clearly structured document. Openness and transparency are important to us – that is why we have joined the Transparent Civil Society Initiative.
The University of Hohenheim presented the follow-up study to its 2017 survey, which identified the DNP as the best-known and most sought-after award among companies. In the new study on the ‘Changing Significance of Sustainability Awards’ – funded by the Federal Environmental Foundation – the DNP ranks first among 141 sustainability awards as the best known and one of the three most credible.
The DNP's company and product price seals are not official environmental labels within the meaning of the Green Claims Directive or EmpCo, but rather awards for holistic sustainability performance, granted on the basis of a transparent competition. Through clear labelling and proper use, they remain credible, legally compliant communication tools.
The DNP's digital magazine provides unique insights into key sustainability issues. Learn more about the 100 winners of the German Sustainability Award for Companies 2024 and their strategies and projects, gain new perspectives on key sustainability issues in society, business, healthcare, sport and architecture, and get to know the thought leaders and trendsetters of transformation from the DNP network.