Sixth International TÜV Rheinland Global Compact Award for Antje Boetius

TÜV Rheinland Foundation celebrates Bremerhaven marine and polar scientist: Commitment to research work and communication honored / International prize for sustainability valued at EUR 25,000 / Award ceremony on September 10 together with the City of Cologne

Professor Antje Boetius, one of the world's most renowned polar and deep-sea researchers, is the winner of the Sixth International TÜV Rheinland Global Compact Award. The German scientist is the director of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, and Professor of Geomicrobiology at the University of Bremen. Antje Boetius is receiving the sustainability award of the TÜV Rheinland Foundation for her significant contribution to deep-sea research and for the outstanding media communication of her research results. The award will be presented at a ceremony that is traditionally hosted by the Mayor of the City of Cologne, Henriette Reker, with figures from politics, business, science, and culture on September 10 in Cologne's historic town hall.

"Antje Boetius's research provides new insights into climate change and the role that oceans play. She has provided an essential basis for economic and political decision-making. In addition, she communicates her research in a manner that is well received by the media and explains research results in clear terms. This makes her an ambassador for science who resounds with both business and society in general," said Professor Dieter Spath, Chairman of the Board of TÜV Rheinland Berlin Brandenburg Pfalz e.V. and the TÜV Rheinland Foundation, explaining the jury's decision.

Antje Boetius is the sixth winner of the International TÜV Rheinland Global Compact Award. In presenting the award, which comes with 25,000 euros, the TÜV Rheinland Foundation pays tribute to people whose work has been deeply committed to sustainability and the goals of the United Nations Global Compact.

Antje Boetius began her academic career by studying biology at the University of Hamburg. Her interest in the marine world led her to the University of California in San Diego, where she studied biological oceanography. After returning to Germany, she was appointed Professor of Microbiology at Constructor University Bremen (formerly known as Jacobs University Bremen) in 2001, followed by a professorship in Geomicrobiology at the University of Bremen. She has been director of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, in Bremerhaven since 2017. In 2022 the German University Association awarded her the title "University Lecturer of the Year." She is also a recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation. On her expeditions, she investigates the effects of climate change on the biogeochemistry and biodiversity of the Arctic Ocean.

Antje Boetius communicates not only within the research and scientific community, but she also actively draws the attention of people from politics, business, and the public to the findings of her research. The ARD documentary of her international ArcWatch expedition helped her research topics reach a wide audience. She also worked as a scientific advisor on the film adaptation of Frank Schätzings's novel The Swarm.

Global Compact and TÜV Rheinland Foundation

To promote sustainable development in society and business worldwide, TÜV Rheinland has supported the United Nations Global Compact since 2006. The Global Compact is an initiative that encourages companies to integrate universal social and environmental principles into their business practices.

An important component of TÜV Rheinland's long-standing commitment to implementing the Global Compact goals is the presentation of the International TÜV Rheinland Global Compact Award, which is taking place for the sixth time this year. The award has been presented every three years since 2008 by the TÜV Rheinland Foundation, whose founder is TÜV Rheinland Berlin Brandenburg Pfalz e.V. In 2021, Reinhold Messner was honored for his commitment to nature conservation and mountain populations. The award winners also include Dr. Auma Obama, Professor Edda Müller, the former Federal Minister Dr. Volker Hauff, and the entrepreneur Dr. Michael Otto.