Press | Umweltbundesamt

Greenhouse gas emissions levels dropped in Germany in 2011 once again, as current calculations by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) prove. Emissions of carbon dioxide and methane in particular continued to decline. The greater use of renewable energies has had a positive effect on the emissions development trend. In contrast, the level of fluorinated gases, or so-called F-gases, remained largel... read more

At 450 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, 1,640 power generation and industrial facilities required to participate in emissions trading in Germany emitted approximately one percent less climate-damaging CO2 in 2011 than in 2010. Despite a very strong economy and nuclear phase-out, the reduction of CO2 emissions has continued since 2008. According to preliminary calculations, CO2 emiss... read more

The environmental condition of many of Germany’s lowland rivers is perilous. Rivers like the Lippe, Ems, Aller, Alster, Trave, Elde or Spree are classified as lowland sandy-clayey rivers and have been named the 2012 ‘water body type of the year’. They require extensive improvements, for a mere 2 per cent of these river courses are ranked “good“, and 22 per cent even classify as “bad“. Only very fe... read more

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) sees excellent opportunities to renew the global economy in environmental protection. “Whereas it used to be seen as expensive and a damper to growth, environmental protection now has the potential to be the engine of prosperity in modern economies“, said UBA President Jochen Flasbarth upon publication of the annual Schwerpunkte 2012 report in Berlin. At unchan... read more

Nearly one per cent of the population in Germany relies on a private well for its drinking water. The Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) also sets quality standards for the drinking water in these very small water supplies, which are typically found in rural areas. A new Federal Environment Agency (UBA) publication on healthy drinking water from private wells has recommendations for operation and... read more

The bulk chemical Bisphenol A with hormone-like properties is to be subjected to a new assessment, as according to the provisions in the European Chemical Agency‘s (ECHA) action plan. The fluorinated refrigerant R1234yf used in mobile air-conditioning systems in passenger cars will be re-assessed. The EU has established its use in newly registered vehicles since 2011. The rubber additive PAN is al... read more

How can you direct people’s attention to an urgent environmental problem? Anyone with a creative answer to this can enter the Wir und die Zukunft: der grüne Blick  environmental contest. Entries can include videos, photos or even poems. The work should focus attention on one of the urgent environmental problems of our time such as global warming, plastic waste in seas and oceans, or urban road tra... read more

The EU Emissions Trading Directive allows industrial and firing installations with low greenhouse gas emission volumes to be exempted from the EU emissions trading scheme. In return, these small emitters must make compensatory payments or take measures to reduce specific emissions. The deadline for installations to file as a small emitter was 23 January 2012. The interested public may respond to t... read more