Press | Umweltbundesamt

The European REACH Regulation obliges companies to register substances of very high concern with the European Chemicals Agency starting 1 June 2011. President Jochen Flasbarth of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is calling upon companies to carry out an exacting review of their product range. “Substances with these properties do not belong in the products we use in our daily lives. They must b... read more

A worldwide ban on production and application of the chemical endosulfan in pesticides is about to be introduced, in accordance with a resolution passed by the Fifth Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs. President Jochen Flasbarth of the Federal Environment Agency says, “The perseverance of our experts has paid off. This decision prevents... read more

The grace period for application of PFOS-based fire extinguishing foams ends on 27 June 2011. PFOS, or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, is an extremely persistent chemical. This acid accumulates in organisms and is toxic. PFOS was used for many years in fire extinguishing foams and was thereby introduced into the environment. The chemical can be traced in every ecosystem, even in remote regions such... read more

“The sky over the Ruhr region must be blue again.” This demand made by Willy Brandt during a speech on 28 April 1961 in the Bonn Beethoven Hall is rightfully seen as the start of environmentally conscious political thinking in Germany. In so doing, Brandt brought a regional problem previously ignored into the focus of sociopolitical debate- long before there were notions of ’environmental protecti... read more

Road traffic remains the greatest source of noise, according to the latest noise survey by the Federal Environment Agency, which polled 70,000 participants. The survey says that road traffic noise and aviation noise are the most annoying. "Efforts to protect the public from traffic noise are not yet adequate in Germany. There are still too many people who suffer from excessive noise levels. There... read more

In many countries it is customary to be served a carafe of tap water for free. Asking for the same at a restaurant here in Germany is often answered with a waiter’s disdain, even though the tap water in Germany is an international winner. “Drinking water in Germany is generally of high quality. It is monitored thoroughly and regularly, is inexpensive and probably the only food that does not need t... read more

The energy turnaround in Germany is in full swing. Emissions of greenhouse gases are set to be reduced by 40 percent over 1990 levels by the year 2020. These are the provisions of the Integrated Energy and Climate Programme (IEKP) of August 2007 which was extended in the federal government energy plan of September 2010. However, according to a new study by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) ther... read more

The nuclear accident at Fukushima, Japan, and its unforeseen impact on mankind and the environment have put into focus the urgency of making major changes in how the economy is run and in our lifestyles. The way to the future is a life that is low-carbon, energy-efficient, and which makes conservative use of resources - at the national, regional and international level. “The signals sent by ambiti... read more