German Environmental Award ceremony, Chemnitz 2025

DBU Doctoral Fellow M.Sc. David Nash and his academic supervisor at the PCI,  Professor Weinhart, were invited this past weekend to the presentation of the German Environmental Award by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The award was presented to Professor Dr. Sonia Seneviratne (ETH Zurich) for her globally influential climate research, as well as to Dr. Birgitt Bendiek and Lars Baumgürtel from ZINQ GmbH & Co. KG (Gelsenkirchen) for their circular business model Planet ZINQ.

Ahead of the award ceremony, an inspiring symposium on the circular economy brought together representatives from politics, science, and industry. The program was complemented by a guided tour of Rabenstein Castle – following in the footsteps of sustainability pioneer Hans Carl von Carlowitz – and a city tour through Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture 2025.

Returning from Chemnitz with many positive impressions, enriching encounters surrounding the German Environmental Award, and renewed motivation, we are eager to continue our research on resource-efficient water technologies and contribute to a more sustainable society.