{
  "id": 16466572,
  "title": "German Environmental Award: Steinmeier: We must rethink our way of life",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/deutscher-umweltpreis-steinmeier-mussen-lebensweisen-uberdenken",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-25T11:23:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/forschung-innovation/deutscher-umweltpreis-steinmeier-muessen-lebensweisen-ueberdenken/100264784.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for high priority to be given to climate protection, despite current political fluctuations. He made the appeal during the presentation of the German Environmental Award in Aachen, citing the devastating consequences of global warming, including 16,000 excess deaths in Germany last summer, according to the Robert Koch-Institut. The award, valued at 500,000 euros, was given to engineer Klaus Vossenkaul for his innovative wastewater treatment technology and lawyer Roda Verheyen for her efforts to enforce environmental and climate justice. Verheyen warned that the world is heading for a 2.8-degree Celsius increase in temperature, which could lead to millions of deaths, and criticized the slow pace of action on climate change.",
  "summary": "A climate lawyer and a Daniel Düsentrieb of wastewater treatment have received the German Environmental Prize. However, proper celebratory mood did not arise: \"We are putting ourselves in immense danger.\"",
  "key_points": [
    "President Steinmeier urges reconsideration of lifestyles for climate protection",
    "Recent summer shows catastrophic effects of global warming, 16,000 extra deaths",
    "Award recipients: Klaus Vossenkaul for wastewater treatment tech, Roda Verheyen for climate justice"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}