“For the film industry it’s the Golden Bear, for the primary school students living in Hamburg it’s the ‘Klimabär’.” This was the prominent comparison made by Dr. Uwe Heinrichs, Managing Director of the Regional Institute for Teacher Education and School Development (Landesinstitut für Lehrerbildung und Schulentwicklung) in his address at this year´s awarding of the Hamburg Klimabär. This was awarded for the fourth time on Friday in the context of Hamburg Climate Protection Day. Since 2007 the “fifty/fifty” Concept and the Hamburg edcuation authority has award the prize to schools and individuals for their active engagement in climate protection.

This year the jury selected a total of ten schools in seven categories and a single awardee from a pool of 18 applying schools and four nominated individuals. As sponsoring partner of the category “Additional Activites in Climate Protection” (mobility, nutrition, consumption), SunEnergy Europe personally awarded the Klimabär together with Dr. Heinrichs to three winning schools.

Students were able to score points for example through concepts enabling a 55% reduction in the average heat and energy consumption of schools. The designation of so called environmental protection officers in each class or “Energy Cops,” who roam the halls providing information and tips on climate protection on behalf of the evironment, was one of several award winning and successful school projects. In addition to the Klimabär award the prize winners each received 400 Euros in class funds as well as a gift certificate to participate in the Extreme Weather Congress this upcoming April in Hamburg.