Osnabrück. The new prizewinners of the German Environmental Award have been nominated. Presented by Federal President Johannes Rau the Executive Director of the United Nations’ Environment Programme UNEP and former Federal Minister for the Environment, Professor Klaus Töpfer (64, Nairobi), and the Founder and Manager of the Prophyta GmbH, Dr. Peter Lüth (46, Wismar/Mecklenburg West-Pomerania), will be receiving Europe’s best-endowed environmental award, worth € 500,000 on October, 27 in Magdeburg. The Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) thus will be honouring Professor Töpfer for his outstanding achievement in international environmental protection as highest-ranking German in the UN and Dr. Lüth for the development and production of biological pesticides, mentioned DBU Secretary General Fritz Brickwedde in a today’s press release.

Recognition of his life’s work

Professor Töpfer received the German Environmental Award in recognition of his life’s work, said Mr Brickwedde. Thanks to his initiative circle management had become in Germany a law for the first time. Mr Töpfer decisively advanced the idea of preventive and integrated environmental protection. As an economist and environmentalist he made visible that economic growth is only possible where a technological change is simultaneously combined with a consequent resource saving policy. One important objective of Mr Töpfer was the ecological advancement of the social market economy. The German pioneer role in environmental was also his contribution.

Special importance for the reunification of Germany

Examples were the introduction of the third purification step of sewage-works, the reduction of the amount of refuse and the abandonment of the CFC-production in favour of climate protection as well as the German self-commitment to reduce the carbon dioxide emission by 25% until 2005. Of special importance was Klaus Töpfer’s commitment for the reunification of Germany, the turn off of the Greifswald nuclear power plant, the closure of the "industrial polluters” - the health damaging chemical works - in the former GDR but also the rescue of large nature reserves in Eastern Germany.

Highest ranking German in the UN

Professor Töpfer contributed considerably to the success of the 1992 UN world summit "Environment and Development” in Rio. As chairman of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development he worked afterwards on realisation of the summit’s objectives and their transfer into international agreements. In 1998 he had been nominated from the UN General Secretary Kofi Annan for the position of the UNEP Executive Director and was re-elected in 2002. The German Environmental Award was a tribute to his position as highest ranking German in the UN regarding the fields environment and development. He fought against poverty in favour of the developing countries which are very sensitive towards climate changes.

The first biological means against plant-damaging fungi in Germany

In a difficult upheaval phase Dr. Lüth saw his chance by founding the Prophyta GmbH in 1992 in Malchow on the island of Poel (Mecklenburg-West Pomerania). He developed the first biological means against plant-damaging fungi in Germany and established a functioning enterprise which is - with a headcount of 17 - at present in touch with partners in more than 40 countries. With his "innovative pioneering achievement" he set a technological standard caused a great sensation all over the world and serving also for other innovative applications in the biological medicament development.

Eco- and user-friendly and reasonable product against a certain decay in cultivated plants

According to the principle to prevent an increase of pests with the help of natural living enemies and thus maintaining the natural biological balance Dr. Lüth developed as an alternative to chemical-synthetic products an eco- and user-friendly and reasonable product against a certain decay in cultivated plants. Dr. Lüth proved not only that biological protection of plants is possible under economical aspects but had disclosed also the potential of biological pesticides in environmental protection showing no risks for man concerning possible remains in the food chain. The market for usual pesticides had an annual amount of $ 30 billion.

In 2003 a further large plant would be established

In 1999 the Prophyta GmbH established a plant for the production of biological pesticides in Wismar and brought it into service in 2000. In 2003 a further large plant would be established to increase the annual capacity from 200 to 1,000 tons.