German Environmental Award honors climate lawyer and membrane researcher

The German Environmental Award this year honors climate lawyer Roda Verheyen and membrane filter engineer Klaus Vossenkaul for their contributions to legal climate protection and innovative wastewater treatment technology. Verheyen, a Hamburg attorney and member of the Hamburg Constitutional Court, advocates for clear legal regulations protecting climate and environment, applying abstract law to concrete cases. Vossenkaul developed hollow fiber membrane filters that remove microplastics, pathogens, and pharmaceutical residues from wastewater. The two share the 500,000 euro prize, presented by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Aachen on October 25. The award, one of Europe's highest-endowed environmental honors, is granted annually by the German Federal Environmental Foundation.