The explanatory statement said that Schellnhuber's "great commitment has significantly contributed to a general change in awareness in national and international climate policies”. In his speech at the beginning of the awards ceremony at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Christian Wulff said Schellnhuber as a „tireless admonisher“ knew that „we need a radical shift in awareness, an about-turn to a sustainable, resource-preserving economy.“
Apart from Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, 35 other people were honoured for their extraordinary civil involvement, be it on large or small scale. Among those awarded were the actor and writer Hanns Zischler, the writer for children's and young adult's literature Kirsten Boie as well as Marcel Gleffe, who saved more than 20 lives this summer in the aftermath of the massacre on the Norwegian island Utøya.
