In 2026, the DNP Companies award will be presented in a special format in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the German Sustainability Award in 2027. More details coming soon.
Climate change, resource scarcity, and biodiversity loss demand decisive action, yet sustainability is losing priority internationally. The DNP sets a counter-signal: it highlights the pioneers of transformation, gives them a stage, and provides orientation across industries.
240 experts on the jury selected them. They demonstrate that progress is possible even in the face of headwinds—with innovative strength, responsibility, and an attitude that inspires others to act.
On December 4 and 5, 2025, the winners of #DNP25 were honored in Düsseldorf. The year’s transformation congress brought together business, science, and civil society—as a meeting place for a community that makes change possible.
of the Transformation fields
On Friday, December 5, 2025, the “big picture” was created in Düsseldorf for the third time—a special snapshot of sustainable transformation: the leaders of the 100 successful industry pioneers came together on stage. Throughout the evening, it was announced who would receive a special “Best of the Best” award in one of the five transformation fields.
Pioneer.
The GSA honors companies that are driving transformation in their industry. The term "pioneer" emphasizes impactful contributions rather than absolute claims, allowing for a nuanced evaluation by the jury. Instead of relying on superlatives, it shifts the focus to collective progress—creating space for different challenges and measurable successes.
100 industries.
Transformation is industry-specific. Every company and every business model is covered and assigned to a sector and an industry. The categorisation is based on core business and sales focus. The categorisation is derived from the ISIC, WZ and NACE classifications.
Application and research.
Companies no longer fill out an application form, but instead create their sustainability profile in line with the new EU reporting framework (CSRD/ESRS). There is also room for additional information for the jury. At the same time, AI-supported sustainability profiles are created for thousands of companies from all sectors by researching sustainability reports, publications, codes/indices and rankings.
Sustainability profiles.
The profiles serve as the foundation for applications and jury decisions. They are aligned with the 2030 Agenda, the EU Green Deal, and Germany’s sustainability strategy, integrating reporting obligations such as the EU Taxonomy and CSRD/ESRS. The profiles cover five transformation areas: climate, resources, nature, value chain, and society. Each profile includes industry-specific sustainability data such as company size, sector classification, sustainability narrative, key measures, CO₂e emissions (Scope 1–3), and potential controversies. This structured approach ensures a transparent and comparable evaluation.
Scoring.
The scoring system of score4more identifies the 20 to 30 leading companies driving transformation within each industry. The assessment follows a six-tier methodology, ranging from "leading" (5 points) for high impact and internal sustainability to "inactive" (0 points) for companies without measures. The overall score is determined by the average of individual evaluations. Companies can transparently disclose controversies. Researched and self-created profiles are treated equally.
Expert Juries for all Industries.
Independent expert juries select the pioneers, finalists, and winners. Appointments are based on professional expertise and balanced stakeholder representation. Each jury consists of approximately five experts from industry practice, associations, civil society, consulting, and research. Evaluations are based on jury documents, score4more scorings, publicly available materials, and the jurors’ expertise.
Decision Criteria.
Expert juries assess companies’ sustainability performance based on relevant transformation fields, score4more ratings, or their own expertise. Additional criteria include innovation (sustainable impact), scalability (leverage effect, CO₂ reduction), development dynamics (measurable progress), and long-term responsibility (sustainable value creation, social engagement). The jury takes into account different company sizes and business models to reflect the diversity within each industry.
Decision Process.
The jury conducts two voting rounds to determine the top 10 pioneers in each industry. Nominated companies have the opportunity to update their profiles, while non-participating companies are eliminated. In the second voting round, the jury selects the top 3 finalists and one winner per industry. The jury chair drafts a justification outlining key criteria such as sustainability, innovation, and impact, serving as the basis for DNP communication.
Role models of transformation.
Following the industry-specific evaluation, the GSA takes a broader view based on key transformation fields. In addition to recognizing industry pioneers, the GSA honors companies from among the industry leaders that have made particularly significant and exemplary contributions within their assigned transformation fields. Assessment partners conduct the evaluations, while the DNP corporate jury makes the final decision.
Everything you need to know about the new methodology in detail.
By acquiring the GSA-seal, successful participants in the competition can document their top position in the field of sustainability - in the direction of customers, suppliers, the media and the financial world. The GSA-seal is a renowned external recognition, makes the pioneers recognizable and ensures a head start in the market. The GSA-seal gives consumers orientation in their search for sustainable alternatives.
Discover the companies that are providing the most compelling answers to sustainability challenges in their industries. Read how transformation is being driven forward in healthcare, sports, architecture, and global collaboration.
Since 2008, success in the GSA has rewarded and motivated the participating companies. Nomination, participation in the finals and the award have a powerful effect on the companies; they strengthen the sustainability managers and their teams. The successful participants also benefit from their success externally. They are intensively involved in the reporting of the GSA Foundation and its cooperation and media partners and use good results for their own press and public relations work.
