OSNABRÜCK, Germany, September 30 /PRNewswire/ --

- DBU's German Environmental Award Goes to the Dean of the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management (USA), and the Founder of BRAIN AG

In 2008, the German Environmental Award, presented by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU), focuses on the careful treatment of natural resources, an informed use of energy, and sustainable management: Prof. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker (69), Dean of the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California (Santa Barbara), and Dr Holger Zinke (45), founder of the biotech company BRAIN AG (Zwingenberg), will receive Europe's most lucrative environmental prize, worth 500,000 euros, in the Rostock Town Hall on 26 October. It will be presented by German President Horst Köhler. Prof. von Weizsäcker is being honoured for his decades of outstanding work in promoting sustainable management strategies in politics, business and society worldwide. Dr Zinke is receiving the award for his great success in using innovative "white" bio-technology to develop new types of natural compounds for industrial production, thus protecting the environment. Each of the prize-winners is to receive 250,000 euros.

Important Information for journalists: Please find the long version of this press release, photos, vitae, interviews of the prize winners and audio excerpts (spoken quotes, mp3-files) for free download and use on http://www.dbu.de/123artikel28145_106.html.

Contact Press Office: Franz-Georg Elpers Press Officer Taalke Nieberding Isabel Krüger Anneliese Grabara Contact DBU: An der Bornau 2 49090 Osnabrück Phone: +49(0)541-9633521 Fax: +49(0)541-9633198 presse@dbu.de http://www.dbu.de

Contact Press Office: Franz-Georg Elpers, Press Officer, Taalke Nieberding, Isabel Krüger, Anneliese Grabara; Contact DBU: An der Bornau 2, 49090 Osnabrück, Phone: +49(0)541-9633521, Fax: +49(0)541-9633198, presse@dbu.de