Press | Umweltbundesamt

Although the German businesses participating in emissions trading in 2007 produced some 487 million tonnes of climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) - amounting to 9.7 million tonnes, or two percent more than in 2006 - emissions trading already proved itself effective during the first trading period.  Average CO2 emissions of 479 million tonnes in the first trading period (2005-2007) were slightly... read more

Flame retardants save lives, for they can prevent fires. Many manufacturers therefore make use of these substances in electrical and electronic devices, insulation materials, or textiles.  However, some of these would-be lifesavers are not entirely benign. It is brominated flame retardants in particular which can spread into the environment or accumulate in the food chain or in the human being. Th... read more

The Act Governing the Sale, Return and Environmentally Sound Disposal of Electrical and electronic Equipment (ElektroG), which was transposed into law three years ago, has also stipulated for the past two years that used equipment be separated and disposed of.  Responsibility for disposal is in producers’ hands.  Consumers have since been able to dispose of waste electrical and electronic equipmen... read more

How exactly is the state of the environment in Germany? The answers to this question are provided in the new manual with environmental indicators (Umweltdaten Deutschland - Umweltindikatoren) published by the Federal Environment Agency. Whether it is energy productivity, land use or air, water or soil pollutants, the manual lists core facts on environmental issues stemming from the environmental c... read more

Drinking water is a staple in nutrition. Statutory requirements stipulate that drinking water may not prove grounds for adverse health concerns. It must reach all households in impeccable quality. The quality of household drinking water can, however, be poorer than what the water works discharge. Data from the German Environmental Survey for Children (KUS) carried out by the Federal Environment Ag... read more

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is now announcing its planned projects for the Environmental Research Plan 2008 (UFOPLAN 2008) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) on the Internet. read more

Overall emissions of greenhouse gases in Germany declined by roughly 24 million tonnes in 2007 as compared to 2006 (minus 2.4 percent). With a total of 981.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents emissions are now below the one billion threshold for the first time.  Since 1990 Germany had achieved, by the end of 2007, an overall reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions of 20.4 percent.  These are the... read more

PCs, notebooks and mobile phones perform invaluable services, and we could hardly cope in our daily lives anymore without information and communication technology (ICT). However, ICT ravenously consumes large amounts of energy. The share of IT and entertainment electronics in overall electricity consumption in Germany is presently estimated at roughly eight per cent. Furthermore, the IT sector i... read more