DBU aktuell No. 8 | 2021 English

Information on Grant Support Activities of the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt)

Presentation of the German Environmental Award 2021 in Darmstadt  © Peter Himsel, DBU
The German Environmental Award of the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU), worth 500,000 euros, goes this year to ecologist Prof. Dr. Katrin Böhning-Gaese (front, left) and peatland researcher Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Hans Joosten (front, right). German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (center) said the two raised awareness of "what it takes to preserve biodiversity and stop global warming." Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, DBU Secretary General Alexander Bonde, DBU Board of Trustees Chairwoman Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter and Hesse's State Minister Priska Hinz (back from left) also pointed out the close connection between species and climate protection.
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Prof. Dr. Katrin Böhning-
Gaese © DBU/ Peter Himsel
Environmental prize winner Prof. Dr. Katrin Böhning-Gaese addresses politicians, consumers and farmers: "The greening of agriculture is a task for society as a whole.
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Prize winner Joosten © Peter Himsel | DBU
The rewetting of peatlands is often quite simple, emphasizes environmental prize winner Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Hans Joosten; all you have to do is stop draining them.
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1.) For climate protection and biodiversity - Federal President presents German Environmental Award

"I am pleased that today we are honoring a scientist who has made outstanding achievements in the broad field of climate and species protection. Both are raising awareness of all that is needed to preserve biodiversity and stop global warming." With these words, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honored the winner of the German Environmental Award 2021: ecologist Prof. Dr. Katrin Böhning-Gaese and moorland researcher Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans Joosten share the award, which is funded with 500,000 euros.

At the ceremony in the darmstadtium congress center in Darmstadt, the German president emphasized that Böhning-Gaese had contributed to a better understanding of the causes of species extinction and what could be done about it. About one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, he said, "because we humans are overexploiting nature. We clear forests in excess, exploit soils, use toxic pesticides, catch too many fish, pollute the oceans with plastic waste," he said. Joosten, on the other hand, was "a great moorland researcher" who was one of the first to point out "how important healthy, wet moors are for climate protection because they extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and bind it permanently in the soil." He had recognized how damaging moorland drainage, for example through agricultural and forestry use, was for the climate and biodiversity. Joosten did not stop at warnings, but developed pioneering ideas for the agricultural use of peatlands without jeopardizing their protection - and coined the term "paludiculture" for this.

Major transformation of all areas of life

In his keynote speech, Steinmeier appealed to citizens to work together to make changes happen. "What we are facing is a transformation of society as a whole, a major transformation task that affects all areas of our lives: the way we generate energy, shape mobility, farm, produce industrial goods, build homes, dispose of waste, how we travel, shop and feed ourselves." Setting out together as a society on the path to a climate-neutral future "without threatening cohesion as a requirement for freedom and democracy" is "one of the greatest political and social challenges of the coming years." In this context, he said, special attention must be paid to those "who cannot easily keep pace with change.

At the same time, the Federal President expressed optimism: "We have every reason to be confident." In the Corona pandemic in particular, he said, society had demonstrated the power to change course. "And we have experienced how much public spirit we have in us." Böhning-Gaese and Joosten had made one thing clear to everyone: "There is no reason to freeze in fear and wait for the apocalypse. Climate change and species extinction are not our fate."

Ecologization of agriculture

In an interview with moderator Judith Rakers, award winner Böhning-Gaese also felt that society as a whole had a responsibility: "We need to ecologize agriculture. This is a task for society as a whole. Politicians and consumers have a role to play, as do farmers. I am very confident." Joosten made it clear: "The drainage of the moors leads to huge emissions and climate problems. To reverse that, we need to stop draining the land. Wet moors can also be used for agriculture," said the environmental prize winner.

Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze emphasized, "For many years, the wrong agricultural policy was made with good intentions. As a result, we are losing biodiversity and the climate is changing. We have to stop the development and counteract it quickly."

"Making is the need of the hour!"

Hosting the event, DBU Board of Trustees Chair and Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, said the award for Böhning-Gaese, as Director of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center and Professor at Goethe University Frankfurt, and Professor Joosten, who worked at the University of Greifswald until retirement, was a signal: "We only have one Earth. And we must treat the diversity of life with care. If we don't do that, we harm ourselves." The DBU Board of Trustees therefore "deliberately awarded the prizes in this way." With a view to the World Climate Conference in Glasgow, DBU Secretary General Bonde added in his closing words: "What is decided in Glasgow in terms of gigatons of CO2 savings must be saved kilowise in Greifswald, Gladbach and Glückstadt. Doing is the order of the day!"

Further information

The big overview: All information on this year's award ceremony as well as the awards of previous years can be found at: https://www.dbu.de/umweltpreis

 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)