Luisa Neubauer: Award as a symbol of young climate protection!

Luisa Neubauer: Award as a symbol of young climate protection!

In a significant moment for the climate movement, Luisa Neubauer was honored at the award ceremony in Chemnitz. The event took place as part of the Saxon Sustainability Conference, where the committed environmentalist was honored with the Hans Carl von Carlowitz Prize. Neubauer sees this award not only as a personal honor, but also as recognition for the millions of people who are committed to a sustainable future. “This award is for the many voices who are committed to our earth,” she said during the ceremony, which was also accompanied by the symbolic planting of an ash maple in the town hall park. Schoolchildren were involved in this campaign and thereby underlined the importance of the youth perspective for a just world, as MDR reports.

The honor commemorates Hans Carl von Carlowitz, who called for the need for sustainable timber harvesting as early as 1713. Other honorees of the evening included the Austrian politician Leonore Gewessler and Achim Steiner, the former director of the UN Environment Program. This breadth of content underlines the high level of commitment of various actors in the area of ​​environmental protection and sustainability.

Recognition for exceptional commitment

This award immediately follows Neubauer's presentation of the Albert Schweitzer Medal on September 14, 2025, which was presented during a celebratory service in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The event was musically framed by the oratorio “INMITTEN VON LEBEN” and 70 members of the Offenburger Kantorei and the “Gospel Generation” sang. The laudatory speech was given by Dr. Maria Furtwängler, who praised Neubauer's tireless commitment to the “Fridays for Future” movement. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, who preached at the event, linked the award to the parable of the Good Samaritan and emphasized responsibility towards those suffering from climate change. This shows that the issues of climate protection and social justice are closely linked, as Albert Schweitzer Today points out.

Luisa Neubauer is considered one of the best-known voices in the German climate movement. She met with important political figures such as Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Barack Obama and campaigned tirelessly for climate policy demands such as phasing out coal by 2030 and a binding CO₂ budget. Her five best-selling books on the climate crisis, including What If We Are Brave?, further demonstrate her commitment and expertise in this area.

Focus on youth and sustainability

At a time when youth play a crucial role in climate protection, initiatives to promote young people's engagement are of great importance. A current partial report from the Federal Environment Agency highlights how important it is to strengthen young people's attitudes and commitment to environmental and sustainability issues. The report points out that there are fundamental differences between engaged and disengaged youth. It is therefore necessary to find new formats to sensitize disengaged young people to these important topics. In the long term, this could help create broader social responsibility for climate protection, as Umweltbundesamt emphasizes.

In summary, it shows that the sustainability and climate protection discourse in Germany is lively and diverse. Neubauer's awards are not only an appreciation of her own commitment, but also a call to society to take responsibility and stand up together for the earth.