{"id":194905,"date":"2026-09-03T06:59:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T04:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/?post_type=news&p=194905"},"modified":"2026-09-03T07:14:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T05:14:04","slug":"legal-action-for-the-climate","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/news\/legal-action-for-the-climate\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Action for the Climate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Thinking Outside the Box: <\/strong>Drawing <\/strong>on her legal expertise, Dr. Roda Verheyen (pictured) applies insights from other fields to provide a legal framework for environmental and climate protection. For this work, she will receive the German Environmental Prize\u2014worth 500,000 euros\u2014from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) in 2026, which she will share with membrane filter engineer Dr. Klaus Vossenkaul.
© Kathrin Pohlmann\/DBU <\/i><\/a><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Osnabr\u00fcck\/Hamburg. The German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU<\/em>) will award the German Environmental Prize<\/a> in 2026 to environmental lawyer Dr. Roda Verheyen<\/strong>. \u201cShe works tirelessly to establish clear legal guidelines for the preservation of our natural resources and is making a real difference,\u201d said DBU Secretary General Alexander Bonde <\/strong>in his tribute to the <\/strong>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<\/strong>, founder and managing director of Membion GmbH<\/a> 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\u2019s ceremony will take place on Sunday, October 25, in Aachen, with the prize presented by Federal President Frank-Walter<\/a> Steinmeier<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consistent Commitment to a Clear Legal Framework<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With the rights of future generations in mind: <\/strong>The <\/strong>designated recipient of the German Environmental Prize from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), Hamburg-based lawyer Dr. Roda Verheyen (pictured), also gives a voice to people affected by climate change, according to DBU Secretary General Alexander Bonde. Verheyen shares the award with membrane filter engineer Dr. Klaus Vossenkaul.
© Kathrin Pohlmann\/DBU <\/i><\/a><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Verheyen works as an attorney in Hamburg and is also a member of the Hamburg Constitutional Court<\/a>. 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. \u201cRoda 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,\u201d said the DBU Secretary General.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strong Academic Focus in Legal Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verheyen\u2019s work is characterized by its extensive reference to findings from climate and environmental research. As an \u201coutstanding communicator,\u201d she succeeds in conveying complex issues to a broad public. \u201cWith her determined and eloquent demeanor, Roda Verheyen serves as a role model for a new generation of lawyers,\u201d said Bonde. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Expertise that extends beyond her own discipline: <\/strong>Hamburg-based environmental lawyer Dr. Roda Verheyen will receive the 2026 German Environmental Prize from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU). Alongside Verheyen, engineer Dr. Klaus Vossenkaul will receive this year\u2019s German Environmental Prize, which comes with a total award of 500,000 euros. The prize will be awarded on October 25 in Aachen by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
© Kathrin Pohlmann\/DBU <\/i><\/a><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Verheyen, born in D\u00fcsseldorf 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 \u201cGreen Legal Impact<\/a>.\u201d<\/em> The organization supports civil society groups in effectively using the law to advance environmental and climate protection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Crucial Role in Groundbreaking Decisions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of Europe\u2019s most prestigious environmental awards: <\/strong>Since <\/strong>1993, the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) has been presenting the German Environmental Prize. In 2026, Hamburg-based lawyer Dr. Roda Verheyen and engineer Dr. Klaus Vossenkaul will share the award, which comes with a total prize of 500,000 euros. It will be presented on October 25 in Aachen, once again by Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the very beginning, her professional career has been dedicated to climate and the environment. \u201cEven 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\u2014especially since our own rights are at stake as well,\u201d Verheyen says, describing her motivation. DBU Secretary General Bonde comments on the groundbreaking achievements Verheyen has made throughout her career: \u201cOur 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.\u201d\u201d 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\u2019s (BVerfG) 2021 climate ruling<\/a>. 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hamburg-based lawyer Dr. Roda Verheyen<\/strong> (pictured) will be awarded the German Environmental Prize by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) in 2026. She will share the prize, which comes with a total of 500,000 euros, with engineer Dr. Klaus Vossenkaul. The award ceremony will take place on October 25 in Aachen, and the award will be presented by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lawyer Sees Herself as an \u201cEnabler\u201d of a Government Capable of Taking Action<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verheyen uses lawsuits strategically \u201cto clarify issues and create a binding framework for politics, business, and society.\u201d Only when courts are brought before the courts through lawsuits can they fulfill their oversight function enshrined in the Basic Law\u2014including 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 \u201cenabler.\u201d Her goal, she says, is to strengthen the state\u2019s capacity to act in the face of the challenges posed by the climate crisis. \u201cAction requires goals that are clearly formulated and reliable for politics, business, science, and society, and that are transparently derived from scientific facts,\u201d she says. Those who understand these facts can argue confidently on a factual level, persuade others, and build acceptance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DBU Board of Trustees Recognizes Verheyens\u2019 Expertise and Persuasiveness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This approach convinced the DBU Board of Trustees when deciding on the award, says DBU Secretary General Bonde: \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Media & Information<\/h3>\n\n\n
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German Environmental Award 2026: Summary<\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DBU German Environmental Award Presented to Dr. Roda Verheyen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":194904,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2481],"tags":[3325],"class_list":["post-194905","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dbu-en","tag-german-environmental-award"],"meta_box":{"dbu_headerimage_cover":"0","dbu_submenu":"0","dbu_submenu_position":"middel","dbu_submenu_entry":[{"dbu_submenu_entry_link_size":"normal","dbu_submenu_entry_link_weight":"big"}],"dbu_news_mail":"0","dbu_news_mail_status":"Eine Mail wurde nicht verschickt"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/194905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/194905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":195070,"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/194905\/revisions\/195070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/194904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dbu.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}