Press | Umweltbundesamt

The share of renewable energies in gross electricity consumption will be around 46 percent for the full year 2020 – a good four percentage points higher than the figure for the full year 2019 (42%). The increase was due to an increase in electricity generation from renewable sources of about five per cent, but also to a decrease in electricity consumption in the course of the coronavirus pandemic. read more

Nearly three quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle of a product are generated as early as the production stage, says a study for the German Environment Agency (UBA) which focuses on the greenhouse gas emissions of online retail (“Greening E-Commerce”). The study reports that the share of retail and transport accounts for only one to ten percent of total emissions. read more

Particulate matter pollution in the early hours of New Year's Day is usually at some of the highest levels of the whole year, especially in metropolitan areas and cities – due to New Year's fireworks and emissions of particulate matter. It was previously assumed that 4,500 tonnes of particulate matter emitted by fireworks are to blame for the poor air quality. read more

A virtual journey to a high alpine glacier, rescued crockery, recyclable denim production or the revival of old variety vegetables – the winners of the German Federal Ecodesign Award look for solutions to a more sustainable lifestyle with pioneering projects that are both ecological and excellent in their design. read more

On 30.11. and 1.12.2020 the conference „PFAS - Dealing with contaminants of emerging concern“ took place. Experts from Europe and around the world exchanged views online on how to deal with environmental pollution caused by poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). Because of their unique properties, these more than 5,000 substances are used in a wide variety of products. read more

The 11th edition of European Waste Reduction Week (EWWR) starts on Saturday 21 November. More than 1,000 actions all about waste reduction will take place throughout Germany until 29 November. This year's motto in Germany for the week is "Invisible Waste: Waste we don't see – look closely!" read more

Stimulus packages amounting to billions of euros have been and are being launched worldwide to mitigate the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus crisis. The Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) and the German Environment Agency (UBA) consider these programmes an opportunity to set the course towards a more sustainable society by planning a resilient and viable economic recovery. read more

The German Environment Agency (UBA) proposes to require operators of online marketplaces to ensure compliance with the Packaging Act on their platforms. "Digital marketplaces can also do more to protect the environment. We recommend that in future all online platforms check before selling goods whether sellers have complied with the obligation to be registered in the Packaging Register." read more