Max Studennikoff, founder and chairman of the global investment platform, Climate Change Forum, or CC Forum, has been awarded the Golden Planet Award 2025 for Social Hero in Frankfurt.
The awards took place on Friday, the 7th of November, at the Skyline Studios of Radio Frankfurt, with a jury of esteemed individuals like Lady Astrid Arens. Around 100 guests from fifteen countries were present, and Max was recognized for his efforts for sustainability and responsible capital.
The jury declared, “He creates spaces in which people don’t talk about the future, but shape the future.”
This statement holds true for the purpose and vision of the CC Forum. CC Forum is a global investment platform focused on sustainability, impact investment, and the green transition. It offers entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their ideas and investors the opportunity to fund projects that can become catalysts for a green economy.
The Formation of the CC Forum
Max founded CC Forum in 2018. In an interview with Enzo di Taranto of the Planet Gold Eco Podcast, Max revealed that every time he attended high-level conferences like Davos and COP28, the involved individuals “defined the tasks and problems in the right way, but no one was coming up with solutions.”
He saw a gap between talk and action. In his words, investors often focus on “money making and all this stuff,” so he built a platform that forces accountability. “It would be a great idea if I were to set about creating a dedicated platform that will be wholly dedicated and laser-focused on investing in sustainability,” he said.
A former governor of the Bank of England reiterated Max’s vision in Davos when he said, “Max, this is not what the world needs. We don’t need another Vanity Fair. But if you were to set about creating a dedicated platform where you just get people together and get them to brainstorm and get their money where their mouth is, that’s what the world needs.”
CC Forum was born from that moment.
The Golden Planet Awards of 2025 and Max’s Recognition
At the Golden Planet Awards, organized by Radio Frankfurt and the Voice Aid Association, Max’s relentless efforts in sustainable investment were recognized. The evening included activists, innovators, artists, and political figures who stood side by side for the same purpose: planet Earth.
Winners also included Prince Albert II of Monaco and Jessica Stockmann, among others. These are individuals who have grasped the gravity of the situation and want to preserve the planet’s remaining resources for the upcoming generations.
The co-organizer, Lady Dr. h.c. Astrid Arens told the audience, “The Golden Planet Award is more than an honour; it is a movement. We want to connect people who shape the future with passion and vision.”
Her partner in organizing, Stephan Schwenk of Radio Frankfurt, reminded guests that sustainability is not dull or restrictive. “This gala shows that sustainability can be inspiring, beautiful, and socially unifying.”
The award ceremony was also filled with emotion. “The Voice of Germany” winner Anny Ogrezeanu performed twice, earning standing ovations. She performed two of her most famous songs that promote hope and strength. Dr. Hermann Bühlbecker of Lambertz Group also contributed greatly to the success of the event through his support and personal commitment.
While the gala celebrated progress, Max remains aware of how little time the world has. He is blunt about this. “We are just really, really facing a very narrow window of opportunity…this is a decisive decade. It is within the next 10 years max that we will know if we either consolidate all of our collective efforts and turn the tide, or the world will just not be the same as we know it today.”
Max believes that private capital will lead the climate transition. Through the CC Forum, institutional and private investors are encouraged to fund companies and ideas that drive measurable change.
Conclusion
Ceremonies like the Golden Planet Awards recognize action, not speeches. Max Studennikoff’s standing as a Social Hero reflects the urgency of what matters for the world: actual climate action.
And that is only possible when capital seizes the opportunity to fund startups that duly recognize this mission. Max believes that sweeping statements made by policymakers have little to no effect, and this is why urgent action by those who have wealth is required.
Time is running out.
And change can only happen when finance chooses responsibility.
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