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As Germany’s main environmental agency, we provide government employees with a full range of job related information and resources such as Web content, brochures, and conferences. We also offer concrete recommendations and guidelines on matters such as drinking water quality and indoor air quality. And if you’d like to see the government agency you work for aid the cause of environmental protection and use eco-friendly products and green electricity, then you should have a look at our helpful hints, as well as our specimen RFPs.

Germany complied with air quality limit values nearly everywhere in 2022

Germany recorded no exceedances of particulate matter threshold values in 2022 for the fifth consecutive year. Current data shows that the annual mean limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) of 40 µg/m³ was exceeded at only two roadside measuring stations in Munich and Essen. These are the results of a preliminary evaluation of data collected by the federal states and the German Environment Agency. read more

Companies soon to assume costs for disposal of single-use plastic products

Whether coffee-to-go cups or cigarette butts, too much single-use plastic is landing on our streets and in parks. Cities and municipalities in particular incur costs of up to 434 million euros per year for collection and cleaning, says a study by the German Environment Agency (UBA). New EU regulation states that the manufacturers of single-use products will have to bear these costs. read more

Only ten percent of Germany’s water ecologically intact, despite progress made

Currently, only slightly less than ten percent of rivers, lakes and coastal waters are in good ecological condition. Although this is a slight improvement over 2015, Germany still faces major challenges. According to the EU Water Framework Directive, water bodies should be "good" in terms of chemistry, ecology and – in the case of groundwater – also in terms of available quantity by 2027. read more

Oder fish die-off: Salt discharges caused mass proliferation of toxic alga

According to the German expert group report published on September 30, 2022, the most probable cause of the fish die-off in the River Oder is the rapid rise in salinity, which together with other factors led to the mass proliferation of a brackish water alga that is poisonous to fish. read more

Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES)

Digitization can be an opportunity for environmental and climate protection

UBA together with UNDP, UNEP, Future Earth, ISC, and Kenya is championing the Coalition for Digital Environment Sustainability – CODES, which brings together science community, governmental institutions, UN Bodies, tech companies, and civil society. read more

International TES Academy kicks off at UBA

teamwork with people of different countries

The new International Academy Transformation for Environment and Sustainability (TES Academy) has been launched in a pilot phase at UBA. The kick-off to the project is a virtual discussion series about the implications of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine on the sustainability transformation and how to respond to the situation. read more

OECD-Guideline: Determination of particle size of nanomaterials

On 30th June 2022, the OECD published the Test Guideline No. 125, which harmonises the determination of particle size distribution specifically for nanomaterials. It is an important building block for the implementation of nano-specific requirements within the framework of legislation on chemical safety, for example for the REACH Regulation. read more

"Blauer Kompass" federal award: Nomination of 20 climate change adaptation projects

The competition for the federal "Blauer Kompass" award for exemplary climate change adaptation projects has set a new record number of participants this year. Of the 240 entries received by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and German Environment Agency (UBA), 20 outstanding projects have now been nominated for the award. read more