Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström receives the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award for his groundbreaking research that has reshaped global understanding of sustainability and planetary responsibility.

Born in 1965 in Sweden, the agricultural scientist, Earth system researcher, and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is among the most influential scientists of our time. With the development of the Planetary Boundaries Framework, he has provided the world with a scientific coordinate system that quantifies how much pressure the Earth system can withstand before critical processes begin to tip.
These nine boundaries – from climate and biodiversity to freshwater, oceans, land use, and chemical pollution – mark humanity’s “safe operating space.” Rockström’s research integrates natural sciences, systems theory, and political science, and today forms the foundation of numerous international strategies — from UN reports to EU legislation to the sustainability goals of governments and companies.

As founder of the Stockholm Resilience Centre and current head of PIK, he has shaped a research culture that understands boundaries not as restrictions but as prerequisites for freedom. His work provides the scientific basis for the 1.5-degree target and for many indicators used in global sustainability policy.

Rockström advises governments, international organizations, and companies on climate policy, serves as Co-Chair of the Earth Commission, is a member of the Club of Rome, and is a co-author of key IPCC reports. He represents a science that offers orientation — fact-based, courageous, and profoundly human. In documentaries such as Breaking Boundaries (Netflix, 2021, with Sir David Attenborough), he succeeds in translating complex scientific insights into clear and accessible language — without alarmism, yet with urgency.
Johan Rockström demonstrates that the future is not negotiable — it is calculable. His work provides a foundation for those who seek to guide politics, business, and society toward a sustainable course.

Together with Maja Göpel and Mojib Latif, who are also honored with the award, Rockström embodies the three dimensions of scientific responsibility: analyzing planetary systems, understanding societal transformation, and communicating the physical realities of the climate. Together, they stand for a science that explains, connects — and lights the path toward a sustainable future.