Public authorities

Am 1. Juli 2024 ist das Klimaanpassungsgesetz (KAnG) in Kraft getreten. Für die Bundesländer bildet es den Rechtsrahmen, eigene Klimaanpassungsstrategien vorzulegen, und dafür Sorge zu tragen, dass die Kommunen Klimaanpassungskonzepte aufstellen. Eine erste bundesweite, repräsentative Umfrage im Auftrag des UBA zeigt nun, dass eine Mehrheit der befragten Kommunen bei dem Thema aktiv ist.

The incoming European Commission should continue an ambitious policy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution, protects biodiversity and distributes the burden fairly. This is the key message of a Scientific Opinion Paper by the German Environment Agency and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation for EU climate, environmental and biodiversity policy in the years ahead.

The Global Stocktake assesses the collective progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement every five years. The first Global Stocktake has revealed major gaps on the way to achieving international climate action goals but also pointed at a clear path ahead. On behalf of UBA, researchers analysed the contributions of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.

Driverless shuttles on the roads, assistance systems in passenger cars and route planning on your phone – these and other current and future developments in the digitalisation of transport, their opportunities and risks, and necessary constraints were analysed in two UBA research projects. The results have now been summarised and published in a brochure.

NonHazCity 3 is a European project under the framework of the EU Interreg Program for the Baltic Sea Region. The project aims to reduce hazardous substances in the construction sector and to support circular construction. A NonHazCity Building Award will be given to celebrate the most effective laws and policies for non-hazardous buildings – nominations are welcome! Deadline is the 15th June 2024.

The International Organization for Standardizations (ISO) last year published the first standard on carbon neutrality of organizations and products. In a new factsheet, the German Environment Agency (UBA) outlines its strength and shortcomings and draws some conclusions relevant to companies, verifiers, courts and policymakers.

A recent analysis of global climate scenarios commissioned by the German Environment Agency shows that nuclear energy is not necessary to achieve the climate targets set out in the Paris Agreement. Instead, it is the rapid and targeted expansion of renewable energies that is crucial to advancing climate protection and the energy transition.

Germany regularly experiences heatwaves, is getting warmer overall and is losing water. This is demonstrated by the new monitoring report on the Federal Government's German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (DAS), which Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and UBA President Dirk Messner presented in Berlin.

The Federal Environment Ministry and the German Environment Agency kicked off a series of regional dialogue events on climate adaptation. The first of these will be held by about 80 randomly selected citizens from the Central Elbe region.

Reducing substances in the construction sector that are hazardous to health and the environment and supporting circular construction – these are the goals of NonHazCity 3, a European project in the EU Interreg Program for the Baltic Sea Region. The project team involves 21 partners from all eight EU countries around the Baltic Sea, including the German Environment Agency (UBA).