The public law of local planning serves the purpose of spatial allocation and development of construction sites, roads, infrastructure and areas that are to be kept free of development.
Transport of refrigerated and chilled products like food is on the rise worldwide. Whether goods are transported on the road, by train or ship, the cooling temperatures must be maintained exactly. Many transport refrigeration units contain fluorinated refrigerants acting as greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These substances need to be replaced by refrigerants having less impact on the climate.
Heat pumps are coming into increasing use for heating of buildings and for hot water production in commercial as well as industrial applications. Heat pumps use natural heat in a very energy-efficient way.
According to the VDMA, around 36,500 centralized refrigeration systems and over 540,000 plug-in refrigeration units were installed in German supermarkets, discounter, hypermarkets and other food retail stores in 2017. Fluorinated refrigerants are still the most common in existing systems.
Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases applies since 11 March 2024, repealing Regulation (EU) 517/2014.
Waste management makes an important contribution to climate protection. Recycling, the energetic use of residual waste, and capturing and utilizing landfill gas contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In Germany, the landfill ban for untreated municipal solid waste (MSW) set an important impulse for this development.
Division V of the German Environment Agency is responsible for climate protection, energy and emissions trading. The German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) is based here. In Germany, it is the body responsible for trading in certificates for the emission of climate-damaging carbon dioxide.
