An Address by Former German President Horst Köhler
on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU)
Berlin, 8 December 2016
"Celebrating a birthday is always pleasant, but it is even better when one can remember the birth itself. Therefore, I am very happy to be here today. For me, the 25 years that the Germany Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU) has existed mark not only an anniversary, but also the inspiration for some very good memories of 1990 when, as a young State Secretary in the Finance Ministry, I was allowed to be involved in the realization of this ingenious idea conceived by Theo Waigel and Hans Tietmeyer. Since then I have watched the work of the DBU, sometimes up close, and sometimes from a distance. Today there is much to celebrate and some things with which we can be mightily impressed – thousands of funded projects, the strengthening of the general consciousness regarding sustainability, and of course Europe’s most highly-endowed environmental prize. The DBU stands for an ecological vision that we need today more than ever. For this, I congratulate it wholeheartedly!"
