Over 50 years ago, the social-liberal coalition under chancellor Willy Brandt breathed new life into environmental protection. With the launch of the Federal Government’s first environmental programme and the appointment of the first German Environment Minister in 1971, environmental policy initially took root within the Federal Ministry. read more
Online platform DIVID of the Single-Use Plastics Fund launched
The Single-Use Plastics Fund Act, passed on 15 May 2023, obliges manufacturers to bear the costs for the collection of their single-use plastic products when discarded as waste in streets or parks from 2024. The German Environment Agency is setting up the digital platform DIVID to manage and process the levies that companies must pay into the Single-Use Plastic Fund. read more
Blue Angel for wood-burning stoves: Dust precipitators can reduce ultrafine particles by 97 percent
The Hesse State Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) investigated the emission of ultrafine particles (UFP) and the effectiveness of electrostatic precipitators to reduce fine dust emissions from a wood-burning stove. read more
National emissions trading: CO₂ emissions fell by 5.9 per cent in 2022
In the second year of the national emissions trading scheme (nEHS), emissions within its scope amounted to 288.5 million tonnes of CO₂. read more
Assessment value set for plasticisers in urine
At its meeting on 22 March, the Human Biomonitoring (HBM) Commission at the German Environment Agency (UBA) derived a health-based assessment value (HBM value) for mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MnHexP) in urine. read more
Water body of the year 2024 – Shallow coastal waters of the Baltic Sea
The shallow coastal waters of the Baltic Sea are not only popular with holidaymakers, but also provide a home for many creatures in seagrass meadows, dense algae forests, rocky reefs and mussel beds. read more
Climate emissions fall by 10.1 per cent in 2023 – biggest decline since 1990
In 2023, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Germany fell by 10.1 per cent compared to 2022. This is shown by new figures from the German Environment Agency (UBA). The reasons for this are the increased share of renewable energies, a decline in fossil fuel energy production and lower demand for energy from industry and consumers. read more
Citizens call for more urban greening and depaving to combat heat
Citizens expect the Federal Government to take decisive action against the consequences of climate change. This is the key outcome of the five regional dialogue events on climate adaptation, which were handed over to State Secretary Christiane Rohleder at the Federal Environment Ministry today. read more