Press | Umweltbundesamt

New ideas for green markets of the future and a “green economy“ will be the focus of the agenda at the international conference Green Markets - World of Sustainable Products sponsored by UBA on 29-30 September 2011 in the Urania in Berlin. “Green Economy” stands for resource and energy-efficient economic activity, which is geared towards triggering sustainable development worldwide, at continuing... read more

The "Solarenergie macht Schule e.V." association is now looking for the most solar-energy oriented school in Germany. “Solar energy is becoming more and more significant, which is why our youth should learn about it earlier on,” says President Jochen Flasbarth of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), who has taken on sponsorship of this contest. With respect to a secure energy supply fit for the f... read more

More household waste in Germany is meant to be recycled in future. To achieve this the Federal Government will step up separation of waste materials and upgrade the yellow bin (“Gelbe Tonne”) to a “recycling bin“. A higher rate of metals and plastics recovery can then be realised. ”Recovery will amount to some 7 kilos of high-grade materials per capita and year, which is currently still disposed o... read more

At the International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA) in Berlin, the Blue Angel eco-label initiative and the Philips company introduced the first television sets that meet the criteria of the eco-label. The Blue Angel-labelled Philips 55PFL6606 and 46PFL6606 consume surprisingly little electricity, are free of mercury, are made of low-emissions materials and are built to be recyclable. It is the fi... read more

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is calling upon producers of electrical and electronic equipment to further boost the energy efficiency of televisions, washing machines and computers. “Consumers must be able to really trust that products have as high a degree of energy efficiency as possible, which is precisely why rigorous standards applicable to all equipment for sale is so important”, said... read more

Germany has become the first EU Member State to identify the endocrine disrupting octylphenol as a Substance of Very High Concern and has proposed it be included in the dossiers of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). Scientific research has shown that octylphenol affects the endocrine system in fish and thereby impairs their development and reproduction. Minimal levels of concentration of a few... read more

New research by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has shown that airing a room immediately and thoroughly when an energy saving lamp breaks can avert any health risks posed by mercury. Manufacturers should include this safety advice on all packaging, says UBA, whose President Jochen Flasbarth also sees a need for improving the break resistance of energy saving lamps. Flasbarth comments, “Splint... read more

Europe’s agriculture sector is granted 57 billion euros per year in public funding. Do these subsidies make sense, and where might there be room for improvement in EU subsidies policy?  Is environmental protection adequately taken into account in EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)? The Agriculture Commission (KLU) at the Federal Environment Agency believes the opportunity to optimise CAP in 2014-... read more