German Sustainability Award for Health
In 2025, the German Sustainability Award will once again recognize projects that are pioneers in driving the sustainability transformation in the healthcare sector.
Apply now.
Apply now.
Apply here for the German Sustainability Award for Health until the 30th of May.
Seeking pioneers of sustainability in healthcare.
The German Sustainability Award is once again presenting the award in collaboration with BARMER and Stiftung Gesunde - Erde Gesunde Menschen.
The German Sustainability Award for Health shines a spotlight on the vital link between health and sustainability, engaging key industries, policymakers, the media, and the wider public. By showcasing outstanding examples, it aims to drive the sustainable transformation of the healthcare sector.
The award honors forward-thinking initiatives, measures, and solutions that contribute to a more sustainable healthcare system across three categories:
- Shaping Healthcare – Projects that optimize structures and processes for greater efficiency.
- Strengthening Health – Initiatives that prevent illness and promote well-being.
- Protecting the Environment – Efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of medical treatments and technology.
By recognizing these achievements, the award seeks to inspire and activate stakeholders to accelerate meaningful change in the sector.
Participation is especially encouraged for cross-sector collaborations, non-profit initiatives, and partnerships that bring together diverse perspectives and expertise.
Applications are welcome from a wide range of stakeholders, including:
- Inpatient and outpatient healthcare providers
- Organizations focused on prevention, occupational health, and patient safety
- Manufacturers from the technology, pharmaceutical, and related industries
- Patient advocacy groups and self-help organizations
- Civil society initiatives and professional associations
- Scientific and research institutions
- Media professionals and journalists
- Municipalities and public administration
Submissions can be made via an online questionnaire and will be reviewed by an expert assessment team from the Foundation Gesunde Erde - Gesunde Menschen and the Berlin-based consultant agency Die BrückenKöpfe.
A renowned interdisciplinary jury will select the finalists and winners. The award ceremony will take place in Düsseldorf beginning of December 2025.
GEGM
BARMER
The award is given in three categories:
Shaping Healthcare
A high-quality and modern medical and nursing care system is the foundation of an efficient healthcare system in Germany. It must be designed to be future-proof so that, despite demographic changes, shifts in energy and economic systems, and new health risks posed by climate change and pandemics, the healthcare sector can continue to fulfill its core promise: ensuring access and quality care for all people in Germany.
The German Sustainability Award for Health – Shaping Healthcare recognizes initiatives and projects that contribute to greater ecological, economic, and social sustainability in healthcare through innovative and efficient structural and process improvements. These initiatives provide forward-looking solutions by strengthening primary care, nursing, and other health professions, developing demand-driven healthcare services, leveraging digital technologies, or introducing better system management and coordination.
Strengthening Health
In Germany, a significant share of illnesses is linked to lifestyle and environmental factors, often resulting in long-term health burdens. Conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, back pain, cancer, and chronic lung diseases are among the most prevalent. To foster sustainability in healthcare, enhance health and well-being, and reduce the demand for resources, it is crucial to prevent disease, protect health, and promote overall well-being. Achieving this requires innovative, effective strategies in prevention, health promotion, and health protection.
In an era of transformation, where the healthcare system must adapt to new risks, and the digital age brings both opportunities and challenges, empowering individuals with knowledge and skills is essential for a resilient and sustainable healthcare system.
The German Sustainability Award – Strengthening Health recognizes initiatives and projects that focus on disease prevention and health protection in times of social and environmental change. It also honors innovative approaches that raise awareness of emerging health challenges and empower people to take an active role in maintaining and improving their own health.
Protecting the Environment
Growing public awareness of the climate crisis has sparked a vital conversation in the healthcare sector about climate protection, sustainability, and the conservation of energy and resources. Although this shift has come later than in other industries, environmental sustainability is becoming an urgent priority in a sector responsible for over 6% of Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions and now consuming 80% more raw materials than in the mid-1990s. Across the healthcare system, pioneers are developing innovative solutions to reduce its carbon footprint, environmental impact, and resource consumption.
The German Sustainability Award – Protecting the Environment recognizes initiatives and projects that integrate environmental responsibility into medical treatments and technologies. It honors efforts that minimize ecological harm and promote the sustainable use of natural resources, helping to shape a healthcare system that is not only effective but also environmentally conscious.
The path to the award
The jury evaluates submitted applications based on criteria such as (measurable) effectiveness, innovation, ambition, and scalability/feasibility.
These are the key questions of the competition:
- Which challenges (transformation areas) does your initiative address?
- What specific contributions do you make to sustainability, and what impact do they have?
- What goals and perspectives do you pursue with your initiative?
- How do you communicate your measures and their impact?
During the jury session, the jurors carefully assess the evaluation provided by the assessment team, along with their own expert judgment, to select the finalists. This distinguished group stands out for its exceptional sustainable solutions. From among them, the jury will then choose the winners.
Both finalists and winners will be invited to the award ceremony in December 2025 in Düsseldorf, where the winners will be announced.
This Jury Decides:
An independent jury selects the finalists and winners based on the jury documents, the personal expertise of its members, and insights from the stakeholder groups they represent. These were the jurors of 2024.
Dr. Carolin Baedeker
Co-Leiterin des Forschungsbereichs „Innovationslabore“ beim Wuppertal Institut
Christian Dreißigacker
Geschäftsführer der BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin gGmbH
Dr. Anne Sophie Geier
Geschäftsführerin Spitzenverband Digitale Gesundheitsversorgung
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Greiner
Mitglied des wissenschaftlichen Beirats des Instituts für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen (IQWiG)
Dr. Michael Hallek
Vorsitzender des Sachverständigenrates für die Begutachtung der Entwicklung im Gesundheitswesen, Professor für Innere Medizin am Uniklinikum Köln, Mitglied der Siegenthaler Gesellschaft
Dr. Ruth Hecker
Vorsitzende Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit
Oliver Kirst
Geschäftsführer bei Servier und Vorsitzender des Bundesverbandes der Pharmazeutischen Industrie e.V. (BPI)
Dr. Johannes Nießen
Errichtungsbeauftragter des Bundesinstituts für Prävention und Aufklärung in der Medizin (BIPAM) und Kommissarischer Leiter der Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA)
Dr. Katharina Scherber
Leiterin für Klimawandel und Gesundheit, BARMER Institut für Gesundheitssystemforschung (bifg)
Tobias Schlegl
Radio- und Fernsehmoderator, Reporter, Autor, sowie Notfallsanitäter und Seenotretter
Dr. Sebastian Schmidt-Kaehler
Co-Director Gesundheit bei der Bertelsmann Stiftung
Dr. Anne-Babette Stier
Leiterin Unterabteilung Gesundheitsschutz und Nachhaltigkeit im Bundesministerium für Gesundheit
Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann
Direktorin Institut für Umweltmedizin und Integrative Gesundheit, UK Augsburg und Direktorin des Instituts für Umweltmedizin, Helmholtz Munich
Christine Vogler
Präsidentin des Deutschen Pflegerates
Maike Voss
Agenturleitung neues handeln AG, Mitglied Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit
On the right track? Be part of it!
This award highlights best practices, providing inspiration and support for everyone embarking on the journey toward sustainability. Being part of it matters! All participants, finalists, and winners can look forward to valuable opportunities.
A mark of success.
By acquiring the German Sustainability Award seal, pioneers in the healthcare sector can showcase their innovation and leadership—to employees, patients, the media, and civil society.
As a prestigious mark of recognition, the seal highlights those leading the way in their industry. It also serves as a reliable guide for those seeking sustainable alternatives.