In recognition of his work for a sustainable future, we will present Secretary-General Ban with the Honorary Award of the National German Sustainability Award 2016. Laudatory speaker will be German Federal Minister for the Environment Barbara Hendricks. Most probably Mr. Ban will receive a historic document as the EU will ratify the world climate agreement this week.
The award is endorsed by the German Federal Government, local and business associations as well as numerous NGOs, among them UNESCO and UNICEF. The awards are presented to cities, companies and individuals promoting the idea of a sustainable society by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel or other members of her cabinet.
The German Sustainability Award was established in 2008 to encourage the acceptance of social and ecological responsibility and to identify role models in this area.
How we understand sustainability.
In accordance with the broad definition of the United Nations, we understand sustainability as the balance and interplay of three factors:
> protection of the environment and natural resources (ecological dimension),
> improvement of living conditions for as many people as possible (social and humanitarian dimension)
> consolidation of the economic foundation for acting ecologically and with social conscience (economic dimension).
The German Sustainability Award is a „green event“ – from the competition and further organisational issues throughout the whole year to the very concrete production of the German Sustainability Day. Accordingly, congress and award ceremony are climate neutral events; unavoidable carbon emissions (including journeys of guests and participants) are accounted and offset. Every year the German Sustainability Award supports ecological and social projects by means of donations.
