Wichtiger Hinweis
Environmental Award
Stand: 27.02.2026
This year, the award once again recognizes the responsible and forward-looking contribution of 'the young generation' to shaping our living environment. Applications can be submitted until June 30.
The city of Erlangen, together with Erlanger Stadtwerke, is once again awarding the Erlangen Environmental Prize for young people. The questions are: How can young people help shape our city and our world today? And how do we want to live in the future? Local and global challenges can only be solved together - and we must act now to ensure a future worth living. The best ideas are being sought until June 30.
Erlanger Stadtwerke is sponsoring a total of 5,000 euros for the environmental prize, with individual prizes ranging from 200 to 2,500 euros. The competition is aimed at children, teenagers and young adults from Erlangen. Participation is open to both individuals and teams.
The environmental prize is intended to promote engagement with the environment, appreciation of nature and knowledge of ecological relationships. Personal initiative and creative skills can be developed, and the community benefits from the innovative ability and creativity of young people. Social challenges can thus be tackled through active participation.
Join the competition for the Erlangen Environmental Award and submit your own project for a sustainable city! Attractive prize money awaits you! The deadline for entries is June 30, 2026.
FAQs - Questions and answers
The competition is aimed at children, teenagers, young adults, trainees and students living in Erlangen who are not yet fully employed or not older than 30. Individuals as well as groups, initiatives, clubs and school classes can take part. In the case of group or class projects, the organization must be based in the city of Erlangen. Support from adults is permitted. All projects that have taken place between July 2025 and June 2026 can take part.
We are looking for your creative ideas for the future on the topics of sustainability, environmental, nature and climate protection, endangered biodiversity, critical consumption and the energy and mobility transition. We are interested in contributions from different perspectives.
Submit your application by June 30, 2026 (deadline for the year 2026) together with a project description. It can be supplemented by photo documentation, for example. Objects and digital works can also be submitted.
Please send the competition entries by e-mail umweltbildung@stadt.erlangen.de, by post to the Office for Environmental Protection and Energy Issues, Environmental Education, Schuhstraße 40, 91052 Erlangen; personal handover appointments are also possible (Room 009). You can also get answers to all your questions about the Erlangen Environmental Award by e-mail or by telephone on 09131 86-2934.
The project contributes to sustainable development and a future-proof Erlangen.
Knowledge, recognition & understanding: you combine information and connections from different areas and think reflectively, emphatically and with foresight
Ability & action: you act independently and cooperatively and participate effectively in social processes
Judgement & values: you develop an attitude, understand the impact of your actions on the world and take responsibility
The projects are assessed according to the following criteria
- Capturing and reproducing complex environmental issues
- Ingenuity, imagination and creativity
- vividness
- Action orientation
- Effect on environmental awareness
- Relevance for one's own life (sum field)
- Role model character
- Sustainability of the project
- Innovative strength
- Contribution to sustainable urban development/the global sustainability goals (SDGs)
- Relation to the Erlangen area
The best projects are honored. The environmental prize, with a total value of 5,000 euros, is divided into individual prizes ranging from 200 to 2,500 euros.
We would like to thank Erlanger Stadtwerke for sponsoring the environmental prize.
The awards are judged by a jury consisting of representatives from the city council, the municipal utilities, the environmental department, youth, FAU, schools and Erlanger Nachrichten. The jury's decisions are final and cannot be contested. The winners will be notified shortly after the closing date and invited to the award ceremony.
Here you can find the winners of last year's projects:
Winners of the Erlangen Environmental Award
The city of Erlangen and Erlanger Stadtwerke (ESTW) have awarded the joint environmental prize for the 17th time.
Winners of the Erlangen Environmental Award
The city of Erlangen and Erlanger Stadtwerke (ESTW) have awarded the joint environmental prize for the 17th time.