First sustainability award from the Kreissparkasse: A celebration for the climate!

First sustainability award from the Kreissparkasse: A celebration for the climate!

On July 3, 2025, the time had finally come: the Kreissparkasse Köln awarded its sustainability award for the first time. The festive event in “Halle Tor 2” in Cologne, under the motto “We work together for the climate,” offered a full overview of the region’s best initiatives. A total of 133 clubs and 43 companies from the Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, Rheinisch-Bergischen Kreis and Oberbergischen Kreis took part in this competition. The participants brought an impressive variety of projects that address the challenges of climate change.

The evening was not just a celebration of the best ideas - the award winners impressively demonstrated that sustainability is practiced in the region. A jury of experts was responsible for awarding the prizes, consisting of five members, including Dr. Nicole Grünwald, President of the IHK, and Dr. Tobias Peylo, a renowned professor. To choose the winners, 40 clubs were selected through online voting, which actively involved the region's citizens in the process. Thomas Pennartz from Kreissparkasse Köln praised this form of participation, who was very satisfied with the response.

Prize winners at a glance

The award not only brought recognition but also prize money. The first-placed clubs can look forward to 2,000 euros, while the companies in the first three places were awarded 10,000 euros, 6,500 euros and 4,500 euros each for their sustainably oriented business models.

• Preisträger Vereine:
  • Erster Platz: Bürgerinitiative Naturschutz Siebengebirge e.V. (Pflege der Streuobstwiesen)
  • Zweiter Platz: Heimatverein Lohmar e.V. (Moorrenaturierung am Rothenbach, Einbeziehung von Schulen)
  • Dritter Platz: Katholische Grundschule Wormersdorf (Initiative „Klima-Detektive“)
• Preisträger Betriebe:
  • Erster Platz: Schmitz-Hübsch Obstbau (nachhaltige Ressourcennutzung, Solarenergie)
  • Zweiter Platz: VSS Umwelttechnik (Entwicklung von Abgasreinigungsanlagen, CO2-Reduktion von über 80 Tonnen täglich)
  • Dritter Platz: DLS Vollkorn Mühlenbäckerei (90% Zutaten aus der Umgebung, Nutzung von Ökostrom)

Art and entertainment under the sign of sustainability

Another highlight of the evening was the performance of the band Knallblech, whose music underlined the atmosphere and provided the best entertainment. This mixture of honor, information and joy created a pleasant atmosphere and showed how diverse and lively the topic of sustainability is in the region.

Interestingly, this prize is not the only one of its kind. The German Sustainability Prize, which is considered the most comprehensive prize in Europe, also aims to promote the transformation towards sustainable structures as part of its events. This is based on the 2030 Agenda, which sets the goals for sustainable development worldwide, as set out by sustainabilityprice.de explained. These initiatives are part of a larger trend aimed at raising awareness of environmental and climate protection in society.

The award ceremony in Cologne is therefore not just a local affair, but is part of a large network of sustainability awards that, like the German Sustainability Prize, aim to achieve broad social change. In this context, it is encouraging to see how regional institutions such as the Kreissparkasse promote dialogue about sustainability while supporting local actors.