On Nov. 14th Postgradudate and bachelor students of Tongji University, Chongqing University, Dong Hua University, Liaoning University, Lanzhou Jiaotong University and Shandong University received the first "Klaus Töpfer Environment Innovation Award".

Their projects about water saving technology and water management show that green tech, environment and resource protection issues are an essential topic for young researchers in China.

 Researchers and students from over 200 Chinese universities have participated in the competition. The German Consulate General in Shanghai together with the UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD) set up the "Klaus Töpfer Environment Innovation Award" in August 2011 with the support of Hainan Yijing Environment Protection Company. The Klaus Töpfer competition will take place every year in summer and autumn. The winner of the 1st Prize will get an award and 10.000 RMB.

Honorory Professer Klaus Töpfer - Godfather of the Innovation Award

 Prof. Klaus Töpfer, former German Minister of of Environment and Director the United Nations Environment Programme, is honorory professor of Tongji University. The Innovation Award is named after him and he actively supported its creation.  The projects of the winning teams deal with topics like application of textile fiber in the water processing, water recycle and water management, use of rain water and waster water processing in the industry. The resource "water" becomes more and more important for the human life due to the international consequences of the global warming.

Prize winner proud and happy

The 1st Prize was awarded to an international postgraduate student team of Tongji University. The prize winners WU Yinan, TENG Minmin, JIA Min und Ahmed A.Taha (Egypt) have convinced the judging panel of their project about application of textile fiber electrostatics in the water processing. The 2. Prize was awarded to a team of Chongqing University and the bachelor student YE Wenting of Dong Hua University. Both projects deal with the recycling of warm water and application of fiber technique and virtual water management in the textile industry. The other winning projects include creative ideas about collection system of rain water, water cellar safety in cold and dry region and waster water processing the oil field.

German Consul General Dr. Röhr: "Great potential for closer cooperation between Europe and China"

The vice president of Tongji University Prof. WU Zhiqiang was very impressed b y the works of the prize winners. He wished the winners that their ideas about resource protection will be implemented in the future.  The German Consul General Dr. Wolfgang Röhr said:" Europe and China have great potential for closer cooperation in the field of Environment Protection. The new Klaus Töpfer Environment Innovation Award underlines once more our conviction that environment protection and the struggle against climate change can only be achieved by our joint effort."

Director Gao Guangsheng (NCCCC of NDRC) in Sino-European Symposium on Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

The awarding ceremony took place during the Sino-European Symposium on Climate Change and Energy Efficiency from 9.00-13.00 a.m. on 14.11.11. At the symposium, Mr. GAO Guangsheng, Director of National Coordination Committee on Climate Change (NCCCC) of National Development and Research Committee (NDRC) discussed with German and French experts. The French expert Prof. Laurence Tubiana, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) in Paris and German Expert Dr. Felix Matthes, Research coordinator for Energy and Climate Policy, Öko-Institut in Berlin participated in the symposium. Experts from the Tongji University include Prof. Zhu Dajian, Fellow Professor of IESD，Dean of the Department of Public Administration, Prof. Zhang Xu, Director of Heating, Air Conditioning and Gas Institute sowie Vice-Dean of UNEP-Tongji IESD, Prof. LI Fengting.

The experts expressed their hopes for the innovation progress in China and Europe and underlined the important role of the young researchers. It's the young people like the winners of the Klaus Töpfer Award 2011 who will make our future.