Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Chemicals, Waste | Resources

REACH and the recycling of plastics

Reference manual for an appropriate implementation of the REACH requirements for the operators of recycling plants

The European Regulation 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (⁠REACH⁠) The REACH regulation interfaces with waste legislation at various points, but forms a freestanding, demarcated legislative domain: came into effect on 1 June 2007. This reference manual is intended to describe the most important aspects and regulations for plastic recyclers, and...read more

Climate | Energy

Determining the climate impact of the German government’s Integrated Energy and Climate Programme (IEKP) and proposing a plan to continuously monitor its climate impact

Summary

Summary of the evaluation of the Integrated Energy and Climate Programme (IEKP), which where adopted in the so-called Meseberg Decisions. In August 2007, key elements for an Integrated Energy and Climate Programme (IEKP) were adopted in the so-called Meseberg Decisions. This programme will contribute towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Germany by 40 % by the year 2020. The Meseberg Decisi...read more

Health, Water

Current approaches to Cyanotoxin risk assessment, risk management and regulations in different countries (2012)

The VIIIth International Conference on Toxic Cyanobacteria (ICTC), held in September 2010 Istanbul, Turkey, included a session in which scientists and regulators reported approaches to controlling hazards from toxic cyanobacteria implemented or discussed in their country, as well as awareness of the issue. Presentations demonstrated substantial recent progress in the per-ception of cyanotoxins as...read more

Chemicals

Handbook Communication Strategies for Sharpening Environmental Awareness in the Handling of Pharmaceutical Drugs

In Germany, as in almost all industrial countries, active pharmaceutical substances can now be found in virtually all water bodies and occasionally also in drinking water. Even though the concentrations in question tend to be very low, there are initial signs of their  impact on aquatic life. There is no evidence as yet of any acute consequences for human health. It is, however, impossible to rule...read more

Climate | Energy, Soil | Land

What Matters 2012

Annual Report of the Federal Environment Agency

Part: a departure into a new era - the elements of a sustainable energy supply ; Resource efficiency - a key skill for sustainable societies ; Sustainable chemistry - an elemantary building block of a Green Economy. Germany has decided the transformation of its energy sys-tem. The new energy era requires a fundamental transfor-mation of energy supply. This poses great challenges to the country, bu...read more

Climate | Energy, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

The energy concept of the Federal Environment Agency´s office building in Dessau

Technical innovations for sustainable operation

The new office building of the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) was erected as a model project for sustainable building with very ambitious goals. In order to significantly reduce the consumption of fossil energy sources, the energy demand of the building to be constructed had to be as low as possible to allow sustainable operation. The prime prerequisite for minimizing the energy...read more