Press | Umweltbundesamt

Nanotechnology is considered the progressive technology of the 21st century. It is highly innovative and dynamic, and it opens up new ways to conserve resources and save energy. As with every new technology, however, its potential impact on the environment and the health of consumers and those who handle the materials raises a number of questions. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and... read more

Many of the data centres in German companies hold great savings potential. It has been proven that most of data centres operate inefficiently in terms of energy consumption even though energy costs account for 50 per cent of overall expenditure. In spite of this, companies are making relatively little investment in boosting energy efficiency. The Blue Angel ecolabel seeks to reverse the trend. The... read more

The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has declared the cuts in allocations for the energy sector in the 2nd trading period lawful and has dismissed the action brought by the energy supply utility RWE against these cuts in the energy sector. The Federal Administrative Court thereby affirmed the judgment reached by the lower courts and its own judgments of October and December 2012 on this bas... read more

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is making an urgent plea for more commitment in the area of noise protection. "Noise is a source of stress which may only be felt locally, but noise occurs practically everywhere in Germany. Every second person in Germany feels disturbed or annoyed by noise, and noise can also make you ill", said the Agency's President, Jochen Flasbarth, upon publication of UBA... read more

According to the first preliminary calculations and estimations of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), greenhouse gas emissions in Germany rose by 1.6 percent in 2012. Nevertheless; Germany clearly exceeded its reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol. When compared with 1990 greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 have dropped by 25.5 percent; a 21 percent decrease was needed on average for the years... read more

Nitrogen dioxide and particulates continue to impact air quality in Germany, according to interim measurement data for 2012 provided by the Länder and the Federal Environment Agency. Nitrogen dioxide pollution remains high. Median concentrations of particulates - measured in PM10 - were at the same level in Germany in 2012 as in 2008 and thus well below the levels of the previous three years. The... read more

Amphibians are the most endangered group of vertebrates worldwide. More than half of the frogs, toads and newts in Germany are also on the Red List of Threatened Species. The results of a current research project done on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) indicate that the application of pesticides in agriculture is in part responsible for the disappearance of amphibians. Tests conduct... read more

There is currently a need for better identification and assessment of potential hazards arising from nanomaterials for humans and their environment in the future. With this aim, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) have, at the suggestion of the Federal Environment Ministry, develop... read more