Legal Action for the Climate
Osnabrück/Hamburg. The German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU) will award the German Environmental Prize in 2026 to environmental lawyer Dr. Roda Verheyen. “She works tirelessly to establish clear legal guidelines for the preservation of our natural resources and is making a real difference,” said DBU Secretary General Alexander Bonde in his tribute to the award recipient. The prize, totaling 500,000 euros, is one of the most highly endowed environmental awards in Europe. Verheyen will share the prize money with engineer Dr. Klaus Vossenkaul, founder and managing director of Membion GmbH in Roetgen near Aachen, who has developed an innovative membrane filter technology for resource-efficient water recovery in wastewater treatment plants. The German Environmental Prize will be awarded by the DBU for the 34th time in 2026; this year’s ceremony will take place on Sunday, October 25, in Aachen, with the prize presented by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Consistent Commitment to a Clear Legal Framework
Verheyen works as an attorney in Hamburg and is also a member of the Hamburg Constitutional Court. In her more than 20 years as a lawyer, she has consistently strived to enforce legal guidelines for the protection of the climate and the environment, said Bonde, explaining the decision of the DBU Board of Trustees. “Roda Verheyen applies abstract principles from national and international law to specific cases, thereby making them effective. She gives a voice to people affected by the consequences of climate change. And she helps to safeguard their rights and those of future generations,” said the DBU Secretary General.
Strong Academic Focus in Legal Work
Verheyen’s work is characterized by its extensive reference to findings from climate and environmental research. As an “outstanding communicator,” she succeeds in conveying complex issues to a broad public. “With her determined and eloquent demeanor, Roda Verheyen serves as a role model for a new generation of lawyers,” said Bonde.
Verheyen, born in Düsseldorf in 1972, grew up in Hamburg. She studied law there, as well as in London and Oslo. She has been practicing law since 2006. Her areas of expertise include environmental and planning law, public building law, and international law. Her work ranges from municipal zoning plans to expert reports for the Bundestag to issues of international law. She is a co-founder and board member of “Green Legal Impact.” The organization supports civil society groups in effectively using the law to advance environmental and climate protection.
A Crucial Role in Groundbreaking Decisions
From the very beginning, her professional career has been dedicated to climate and the environment. “Even as a child, I realized that the environment has no voice to stand up for its rights. So we humans have to take on that role—especially since our own rights are at stake as well,” Verheyen says, describing her motivation. DBU Secretary General Bonde comments on the groundbreaking achievements Verheyen has made throughout her career: “Our award recipient is doing pioneering work. She is making an important contribution to identifying and clarifying the legal issues raised by climate change and environmental protection.”” For example, Verheyen filed a lawsuit that established that emitters can, in principle, be held liable for climate-related damages. She also played a central role in the Federal Constitutional Court’s (BVerfG) 2021 climate ruling. In that ruling, the BVerfG upheld a lawsuit filed by Verheyen, in which she argued that insufficient climate protection violates the civil liberties of future generations.
Lawyer Sees Herself as an “Enabler” of a Government Capable of Taking Action
Verheyen uses lawsuits strategically “to clarify issues and create a binding framework for politics, business, and society.” Only when courts are brought before the courts through lawsuits can they fulfill their oversight function enshrined in the Basic Law—including to protect the environment, which, according to Verheyen, cannot be separated from human rights. However, the lawyer expressly does not want to be reduced to the role of plaintiff. She sees herself as an “enabler.” Her goal, she says, is to strengthen the state’s capacity to act in the face of the challenges posed by the climate crisis. “Action requires goals that are clearly formulated and reliable for politics, business, science, and society, and that are transparently derived from scientific facts,” she says. Those who understand these facts can argue confidently on a factual level, persuade others, and build acceptance.
DBU Board of Trustees Recognizes Verheyens’ Expertise and Persuasiveness
This approach convinced the DBU Board of Trustees when deciding on the award, says DBU Secretary General Bonde: “We are pleased to honor Roda Verheyen, a person who, drawing on her extensive expertise, presents legally sound arguments and thus plays a significant role in ensuring the long-term protection of the climate and the environment.”