Publications

Today it is well known how to produce textiles and shoes in a manner that is as environmentally friendly as possible. This is also clear to consumers. They are becoming less and less willing to bear environmental risks – much in the way that they have already demonstrated with regard to inadequate social standards.

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 brochure gives you an insight into the sustainability activities taking place at local community level in Germany, and shows how these activities in specific areas and selected spheres of action can lead to sustainable development that is worthy of imitation. The brochure is based on a survey conducted across Germany in 2011.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Environmental protection has developed into an important factor in the German economy. This can be seen from the development of the environmental economy, a cross-sectoral industry comprising all businesses that supply environmental goods and services.

We are all aware of the importance of climate protection. We are also aware that time is running out. What is needed is the creation of a climate-neutral society where the amount of CO₂ and other climate-damaging gases released into the environment does not cause further damage. We must start now and make essential elements of a climate-neutral lifestyle part of our daily lives.

The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) intends to enable farmers to engage in multifunctional production by providing incentives or compensating farmers for measures and public goods not sufficiently remunerated by the markets but for which there is a societal demand.

In this issue:

• Strategies for more environmental justice
• Berlin pilot project on environmental justice
• Research and activities from Germany and Switzerland

Climate protection strategies today basically pursue two approaches: Firstly, measures should be taken to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emisssions. Secondly, measures should be implemented that enable humans and the environment to adapt to unavoidable climate change.