The Honorary Awards recognize prominent national and international actors who are committed to ecological and social issues and who fight for positive change. They give the topic of sustainability a broad attention.
He is receiving the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award 2026. The award honors a political decision-maker who has tangibly advanced climate action, the energy transition, energy efficiency, and international responsibility—anchoring sustainability where it matters most: in policy, business, and society.
She is recognized as one of the most influential thinkers of our time. Through her visionary Doughnut Economics model and the pioneering work of the Doughnut Economics Action Lab, which she co-founded, she not only challenges conventional economic paradigms but also delivers tangible solutions for a sustainable economy within planetary boundaries. As a Professor of Practice in Amsterdam and lecturer in Oxford, she actively shapes the next generation. Her international bestseller Doughnut Economics is now widely regarded as a definitive global reference, inspiring leaders from the UN to Pope Francis.
The British economist will receive the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award. At #DNP26, she will also share her insights during the conference: How can an economy thrive while meeting human needs and respecting the boundaries of our planet?
She receives the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award for her exceptional, inclusive leadership, through which she connects global trade, sustainable development, and social justice — demonstrating that economic rules can indeed be shaped for the future.
The world’s most successful product designer, Philippe Starck, is coming to Düsseldorf and is being honored because he has been setting impulses and shaping a distinctive creative language for decades. Today, his work stands for responsibility: timeless forms, recyclable materials, and circular approaches that unite design and sustainability.
He receives the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award for his groundbreaking research, which has transformed global understanding of sustainability and planetary responsibility.
She receives the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award for her outstanding scientific and societal contributions in making complex transformation processes understandable and in formulating the foundations of a future-ready, values-based modernity.
Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel is one of the defining intellectual voices of Germany’s socio-ecological transformation. As a political economist, transformation researcher, and author, she combines analytical precision with the ability to translate scientific insights into societal dialogue.
He receives the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award for his outstanding scientific work on the climate dynamics of the oceans and for his unique ability to convey scientific insights to society with credibility, clarity, and human warmth.
Prof. Dr. Mojib Latif is one of Germany’s most internationally renowned climate scientists. As a meteorologist and oceanographer, he has spent decades deepening our understanding of the interactions between the oceans, the atmosphere, and the climate.
She is honored with the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award because she has become one of the most important voices of a global movement that inseparably links climate action and justice.
Vanessa Nakate is a climate justice activist from Uganda, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and the author of A Bigger Picture.
The German Film Award receives a Special Award of the German Sustainability Award for its pioneering role in sustainably transforming one of Germany’s most important cultural events.
The long-standing partnership between PRIMAVERA and Bhutan will be honored in 2025 with the Special Award of the International German Sustainability Award. For more than three decades, their collaboration has combined entrepreneurial commitment, ecological responsibility, and equitable cooperation — making it a model contribution to the 2030 Agenda.
From Annie Lennox (2008) to Joachim Gauck (2019): The DNP's honorary award winners reach people who do not deal with sustainability issues on a daily basis. And they create media interest that also reaches the other award winners. Everyone came to Düsseldorf in person - special events were given to Prince Charles and Ban Ki-mon.
Charles III, at the time Prince of Wales, accepted the Honorary Award of the German Sustainability Award on 29 April 2009. He came to Berlin at the invitation of the German Sustainability Award Foundation, accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla, at the time Duchess of Cornwall. The Foundation hosted a festive dinner in his honor for 150 distinguished guests in the Schlütersaal of the German Historical Museum.
The first patron of the German Sustainability Award in 2008 was the then acting Federal President Prof. Horst Köhler. Subsequently, Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel took over the patronage for several years. This was followed by numerous politicians who supported the award with speeches and words of greeting. The patron of the tenth anniversary in 2017 was Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier.