Electric steelworks, chlorine electrolysis plants and other industrial large-scale consumers could become much more flexible in their electricity consumption and thereby help in the effort to integrate renewables in the power grid. These are the findings of a study done on behalf of the German Environment Agency (UBA).
The Baltic Sea, a valuable and central part of our natural heritage, is under threat from nutrient inputs from agriculture. A study funded by the German Environment Agency has examined the current state of play in the introduction of nutrient accounting as a prerequisite to good agricultural practice.
Extracting more and more new raw materials is unsustainable. The future ideal is a closed-loop, circular economy which, through “urban mining”, obtains many of its raw materials from end-of-life houses, piping, cables, cars and appliances rather than from mines and quarries. An UBA study has determined the types and quantities of potential secondary raw materials available in Germany.
In September 2015 the United Nations agreed upon the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They contain targets dealing with soil quality, restoration of degraded soil and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. Yet, what options actually exist to estimate soil and land degradation on global level? This has now been examined by a new report.
The pace of environmental protection in the agriculture sector over the past 30 years has clearly been too slow. Many known problems such as high nitrogen inputs to soil and air remain unsolved despite improvements.
An event to mark the end of the International Year of Soils 2015 was hosted in Berlin by the German Environment and Development ministries jointly with the German Environment Agency and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. Under the heading “Soil – A source of life”, experts and policymakers discussed old and new soil protection tasks and challenges.
Whilst global demand for food and renewable raw materials is rising, the very basis for producing these – healthy, fertile soil – is under threat. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people are already affected by the consequences of this development. A coordinated global approach to protecting the vital resource ‘soil’ is therefore urgently necessary.
The aim of the research project “Resource-efficient land use – Towards a Global Sustainable Land Use Standard” was to spark a debate on the development of a standard for global sustainable land use, launch the requisite scientific process and explore and identify options for implementing a global sustainable land use.
The prize will be awarded this year to businesses which have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to protecting the environment and climate.
UBA: Focus more attention on large-size plastic litter
New EU regulations make heating units and water heaters more sustainable and provide guidelines for new purchases. The regulations specify a gradual establishment of limit values for energy efficiency and emissions and introduce energy labelling requirements.
Whether it is car sharing or shared housing – lending, exchange or shared usage is in fashion.
