Press | Umweltbundesamt

Recycled paper saves up to 60 per cent of energy and 70 per cent of water compared to primary fibre papers, and it produces less waste and emissions. But surely this means sacrificing printing quality? The Federal Environment Agency’s answer is ‘no’ in its new publication Papier. Wald und Klima schützen (German), which also clears up other misunderstandings on the topic. The publication is an appr... read more

Greenhouse gas emissions are dropping further despite the decommissioning of eight nuclear power plants in 2011. When compared with emissions from 2010, emissions in 2011 fell by 2.9 percent, mainly due to weather conditions. This amounts to 27 million tonnes less carbon dioxide equivalent. The greatest reductions were recorded in combustion plants for the generation of space heating and as a resu... read more

“Greenwashing is not enough!“ is the motto of this year’s Bundespreis Ecodesign competition which was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and relaunched on 14 January 2013 for the second time. Environmental compatibility and good design have long ceased to be a contradiction in terms. The sponsors of the competition hope to demonstrate th... read more

The Register of guarantees of origins for electricity from renewable energy sources (German: HKNR) at the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has started operations. Germany is thereby implementing a European requirement for more consumer protection in the electricity market. UBA confirms with the guarantees of origin that electricity has been sourced from renewable energies. Consumers who have opted... read more

Stricter regulations have come into effect on a number of chemicals, in accordance with the European REACH Regulation. The chemicals concerned include water- and oil-repellent substances as well as four perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCA). Because of their damaging effects on the environment, they have been classified as Substances of Very High Concern. PFCAs are also used in outdoor clothing.... read more

Exposure to pollution varies greatly in Europe, as proven by the results of a first pan-European comparative study. A total of 1,844 mothers and their children from 17 European countries were tested for exposure to mercury, cadmium, cotinine and several phthalates. The measured values varied greatly from country to country, sometimes by a factor of as much as 40. This is due to differences in envi... read more

The Drinking Water Ordinance is introducing the first binding provisions on the materials that come into contact with drinking water. These latest amendments are set to enter into force on 13 December 2012. The supply of drinking water from the public water utility to households throughout Germany is generally of very good quality. In cases of detected contamination of drinking water, the pipes in... read more

How much pollution does the factory in my neighbourhood produce? What chemicals are being released in wastewater to treatment facilities? Answers to these and many other questions can now be found on www.thru.de, the new web pages of Germany’s Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR). The Internet portal has information about the volumes of pollutants that industrial facilities are emitting... read more