Energy Globes awarded

Standing ovations for pioneering spirit for the environment

Double victory: Stefan Leitl (left) and Martin Leitl (center), here with Energy Globe founder Wolfgang Neumann, celebrated the Upper Austria and Austria Award.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

How can we conserve resources, act sustainably and be a green pioneer with innovative products? The winners and nominees of the Energy Globes are constantly demonstrating impressive solutions. The 25th anniversary of the environmental award was celebrated with a double award ceremony in Linz.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the world's most important environmental award, a double award ceremony was held in Linz: first the Upper Austria Award of the Energy Globes was presented, then the Austria Award.

What was brought before the curtain? From bricks that can be reused undamaged at the end of a building's service life thanks to an initiative by Leitl, to the use of a photovoltaic and hydrogen system at the Alpine Club's Sonnschienhütte and Wald4Leben, which is dedicated to the reforestation of mixed forests.

Winner of the Energy Globe Upper Austria 2024

• Earth category: Leitl Spannton GmbH with the Eternal Brick project, which enables bricks to be reused undamaged after the lifetime of a building.
• Fire category: Linsinger Maschinenbau GmbH with the MG 11 Hydrogen project, which stands for the development of the first emission-free track processing machine.
• Water category: Hotel Aviva Betriebs GmbH with the greenAVIVA project, which is all about the sustainable use of resources in the hotel.
• Air category: Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen-Klinikum Kirchdorf with the anesthetic gas recycling project, which reduces emissions.
• Municipality category: Vöcklabruck with the Vöckla-Ager hydrogen project to become a climate-neutral municipality.
• Youth category: Samantha Wanderer (HTL Braunau) with The Plastic Eater, which accelerates the decomposition of plastic.

The ideas and commitment are impressive. Federal President Alexander van der Bellen summed it up in a message: "A future worth living is our main prize here."
See the best pictures of the award ceremonies in the slideshow:

Standing ovations for the founder of the Energy Globe
In addition to the thrill of waiting for the presenters to reveal the secrets of the winners at the Austria Award ceremony in the ORF regional studio, there were also goosebump moments. Thorsteinn Einarsson, who performed two of his hits, provided some of them. And then Energy Globe founder Wolfgang Neumann was also surprised.

His wife and daughters thanked him in a laudatory speech for his commitment and his role model effect. Message: "The Energy Globe is a symbol that every individual has the power to bring about change. You have shown us what it means not only to have big dreams, but to put them into practice." There was a standing ovation!