Press | Umweltbundesamt

The CO2 emissions of the 1,627 energy and industrial installations in Germany that are subject to compulsory emissions trading were somewhat higher in 2012 than the previous year. The total volume is 452.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, compared to 450.3 million tonnes in 2011. There was a notable difference between coal and natural gas. Whereas the energy sector's carbon dioxide emissions from... read more

The environmental condition of many of the streams and rivers in the southern Alpine foothills of Germany is ranked 'good'. These water bodies flow in the depositions of the last ice age, in the immediate vicinity of the large lakes in the foothills. They include the tributaries of Lake Ammer, the Attel or the lower reaches of the Loisach, and the Argen and Schussen tributaries to Lake Constance.... read more

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