At the House of German Business, the German and Austrian Ministries of the Environment, together with other partners including the DIHK, celebrated the 30th anniversary of the "Eco Management and Audit Scheme" on November 13, 2025. During the event, companies were honoured for their outstanding achievements in climate and environmental protection or environmental communication.
Goals Achieved Ahead of Time
"Marking the 30th anniversary of EMAS, we have reached the target of 5,000 EMAS sites set by the German sustainability strategy – five years earlier than expected," praised Markus Gallander, Head of Department at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, during the ceremony. "This is a remarkable achievement, demonstrating the strength of the alliance between environmental and economic efforts."
Gallander reported that the number of registered EMAS sites doubled in the last year alone: "More and more companies recognise the advantages of combining ecology and economy." The awardees and nominees this year impressively highlighted the diverse success stories within the framework, said Gallander.
Voluntary Initiative as a Key Strength
"30 years of EMAS – that’s a great age," added Erik Pfeifer, DIHK Head of Corporate Climate Protection. "At 30, you've gone through the first phase of life: you’ve learned to walk, gained experience, become more independent, and yet you’re still young enough to embrace new challenges."
He highlighted the system’s special advantage: "Among the many legal obligations, it is the voluntary nature of EMAS that has provided and continues to provide it with a strong convincing force: It is far better when we voluntarily agree on rules ourselves, rather than having the state decide what must be done and how."
Markus Gallander (r.) vom deutschen und Christian Holzer (l.) vom österreichischen Bundesumweltministerium zeichneten unter anderem das "Klimaschutz-Unternehmen" SchwörerHaus aus
Two "Climate Protection Companies" Among Winners
Notably, SchwörerHaus and naturenergie, both members of the Climate Protection Companies network, are among the 2025 Environmental Award winners.
Overall, the following companies were honoured for their performances in the categories "Best Measure for Environmental Performance Improvement" and "Best Measure for Communication and Participation":
Winners in Category 1 – Best Measure for Environmental Performance Improvement
Group "Pioneers":
- Germany: Werner & Mertz GmbH
- Austria: LAUFEN Austria AG
Group "Experienced":
- Germany: High Performance Computing Centre with Institute for High Performance Computing, University of Stuttgart
- Austria: hollu System Hygiene
Group "Newcomers":
- Germany: LWL-Klinik Hemer, Hans-Prinzhorn Clinic
- Austria: Vinzenz Group
Winners in Category 2 – Best Measure for Communication and Participation
Group "Pioneers":
- Germany: SchwörerHaus KG
- Austria: Adler-Werk Paint Factory
Group "Experienced":
- Germany: Esslingen University of Applied Sciences
- Austria: Lebenswelten of the Brothers of Mercy – Styria
Group "Newcomers":
- Germany: naturenergie holding AG
- Austria: ProSiebenSat.1Puls 4 ATV Group
Would you like to learn more about the winning and nominated companies and their achievements? Details can be found at www.emas.de/umpreis.
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Released 14.11.2025
Modified 02.04.2026
Contact
Erik Pfeifer
Head of Department for Corporate Climate Protection
Julia Löffelholz
Spokesperson