News

From 2015 to 2017, the Advisory Assistance Programme funded a project of Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe (IWO), which provided advice to the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment on development and implementation of approaches for energy-efficient redevelopment of urban areas. The documentation is now online. A brochure and a leaflet facilitate the transfer of knowledge also beyond Lithuania.

The European Commission issued a legislative proposal with seven measures for reducing waste on European beaches. The main aim of the proposal is to reduce the input of the most frequent plastic waste categories (top litter items). These are mainly single-use products such as food containers, cups, plastic bottles and cigarette butts, but also balloon sticks.

From 27 to 29 November 2018, the German Environment Agency (UBA) is hosting the fourth European Resources Forum (ERF) and National Resources Forum (NRF) in Berlin. Both conferences have established themselves as important platforms for the scientific and political debate about a sustainable use of natural resources in Germany, Europe and internationally.

The use of treated wastewater, e.g. for agricultural irrigation, can alleviate pressures on water resources. At the same time it poses risks as treated wastewater can contain pathogens and chemicals. By May 2018 the European Commission wants to publish a regulatory proposal for requirements. UBA President Krautzberger and EU Parliamentarian Wölken invited for a discussion on 22 March in Brussels.

A research report commissioned by the UBA has analysed a range of options for designing the EU Innovation Fund (IF), a financing instrument created under the EU Emissions Trading System to support demonstration projects for low-carbon innovation in the power sector and industry. From 2019 onwards, this fund will use revenues from auctioning emissions trading allowances for this purpose.

The catalogues of criteria of the Blue Angel for textiles and mobile phones has been overhauled and approved by the Environmental Label Jury. Changes include details and additional requirements of the working conditions at the manufacturing site. Manufacturers may now apply for the ecolabel on their products.

The German Environment Agency welcomes the EU’s initiative to change the use of plastics in Europe. The European Commission presented its Plastics Strategy on January 16th.

If Germany wants to live up to the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement, its transport sector must quickly and drastically cut its greenhouse gas emissions. A recently published paper commissioned by the German Environment Agency confirms this conclusion and proposes concrete measures by which emissions can be reduced significantly and ensure that the climate action goals are achieved.

The German Environment Agency recently published its Data on the Environment 2017 report. Action is needed with regard to climate protection policy, improvement of resource efficiency and nutrient pollution, good news for recycling rates and drinking water quality.

Since 2016, there are new legal requirements for the assessment for nutrients and substances of the waters in Germany. New assessment procedures for hydromorphology were developed. These assessment instruments and the results of the application are described in the brochure "Waters in Germany: Status and Assessment".

The transport sector is under pressure and faces tremendous challenges - not only in Germany. Hence, many countries are looking for solutions that mitigate the sector’s environmental impact and promote sustainable alternatives. UBA and GIZ collected promising ideas and innovations from emerging and developing countries that show great potential for the German context.

The OECD Test Guideline No. 318 features the very first standardized test method particular for nanomaterials adopted by OECD. It is one important component needed for the adaptation of nanospecific requirements for environmental risk assessment applied within legislations on chemical safety.