The Paris Agreement invites parties to provide their low carbon development strategies by 2020 in order to disclose their plans to support the implementation of the Agreement. Recently the European Commission (EC) published a set of documents presenting its analysis of options for long-term climate policy in the European Union. read more
EU publishes long-term climate strategy
International Mountain Day 2018: Sustainable Alps
December 11th is the designated International Mountain Day. The day was designated by the UN to show the important role of mountain regions for sustainable development. In line with this, UBA has published a background paper describing the Alpine region on its way to becoming a model region for green economy. read more
Raw material consumption increases once again – to 16.1 tonnes per capita and year
UBA recommends a reduction of VAT on resource-efficient goods and services read more
UBA Key Prioirities for the new EU Long-term Climate Strategy
Since the Paris Agreement invites parties to provide their low carbon development strategies by 2020, the European Union is currently preparing its respective mid-century long-term climate strategy. Within a public consultation the German Environment Agency (UBA) provided recently its submission on key priorities relevant for the new EU strategy. read more
EU Commission proposes regulation for the reuse of water
The reuse of treated waste water can help to reduce water shortages. Reused water can contain pathogens and harmful substances, however. On 28 May 2018, the EU Commission proposed a regulation, on minimum requirements concerning the reuse of water. It aims to protect health and the environment. The UBA considers there to be a need for improvement. read more
Climate-ADAPT first-stop-shop for adaptation knowledge in Europe
Climate-ADAPT, an online knowledge platform provided by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission since 2012, has grown into the most important place for information when it comes to adaptation to climate change in Europe. A report of the EEA informs about the experiences and effectiveness of the platform and points to ways of further improving it. read more
Discussion in Brussels: materials in contact with drinking water
With Karl-Heinz Florenz (member of the European Parliament, European People's Party), Ingrid Chorus, director of the department for drinking water at the UBA, opened a breakfast session on the topic of materials in contact with drinking water. On 7 June 2018, 50 experts from EU institutions, the EU member states and associations discussed the controversy surrounding the proposal by the Commission. read more
HBM4EU Conference in September 2018
Under the auspices of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Austrian organisations involved in the HBM4EU initiative together with the European Commission organise a conference with the title ‘Human Biomonitoring in Europe –science and policy for healthy citizens’ on September 28th 2018 in Vienna. High-level stakeholders and policy makers are invited. read more