Apply for the Essen Environment Prize 2025: Send in Your Environmental Projects Immediately!
Essen Environmental Prize Returns for its 18th Edition
The city of Essen is gearing up for the 18th Essen Environmental Prize, an annual award that honours projects that make our living space more sustainable and livable while promoting environmental and climate protection.
Simone Raskob, head of the Environment, Traffic and Sports department of the city portal, explained that the award aims to increase public awareness of their immediate surroundings and to recognise projects that offer a social added value and improve the quality of life of people locally. This year, the competition is placing a special focus on social aspects, with eligibility extended to include social projects with a focus on the topics of environment and climate, such as projects by and/or with young people, seniors, refugees, and disadvantaged groups.
Projects on environmental or climate protection and climate adaptation are sought, and these can come from various areas such as climate and environmental projects, neighbourhood, club, or community climate and environmental projects, school and kindergarten projects on the topics of environment and climate, and the newly added social projects.
Dr. Peter Gǘllmann, spokesperson of the board of PNC Bank eG, stated that the bank is committed to promoting sustainability and preserving creation for future generations. As such, they are donating 10,000 euros in prize money for 2025. The total prize money for all winners is 12,000 euros.
The expert jury consists of representatives from the city administration, EWG - Essener Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH, Ehrenamtsagentur, politics, media, and PNC Bank eG as the sponsor. The deadline for entries is October 15, 2025. Projects must have been implemented within the last two years and current measures must be completed by the end of January 2026. Projects that are or have been co-financed by communal or PNC Bank funding projects are excluded from participation.
In addition to the main prize, the "Fairtrade" special prize is seeking projects and activities on fair trade that inspire imitation and connect fair trade with other topics, such as gender equality or diversity. The city administration is also awarding a 2,000 euro "Fairtrade 2025" special prize.
The award ceremony for all prizes will take place in December. Further information can be found on www.our website/umweltpreis. The city portal's Press and Communications Office can be contacted by phone at +49 201 88-0 (ServiceCenter Essen), email at presse@our website, and URL at www.our website/presse.
