Press

On 1st January, Professor Dirk Messner succeeded Maria Krautzberger, who had held the office for five years and retired at the end of last year. Federal Environment Minister Schulze congratulated the internationally renowned sustainability researcher at his inauguration, attended by staff of the German Environment Agency in Dessau.

Power production from renewable sources energy grew significantly by eight percent in 2019 and now covers 42 percent of power consumption. It was the first year in which the share of electricity from renewable energy was greater than that of all the lignite and hard coal power plants together. But: An historic low in wind power expansion does slow future growth.

The Federal Government offsets all of its business travel greenhouse gas emissions. It tracks the emissions of the car trips and air travel of the staff of 116 ministries and federal agencies and offsets their impact through high-standard international climate action projects.

The standard requires a significant cut in pollutant emissions.

The agriculture sector has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to reducing its nitrogen inputs, say the latest nitrogen soil surface budgets of the German Environment Agency (UBA) which are based on data up to 2017. The average nitrogen surplus of the nitrogen soil surface budget is 77 kg per hectare (kg/ha) and has remained virtually constant for more than 20 years.

5 December is World Soil Day, an initiative by the United Nations to focus attention on the importance of natural resources. Germany has named a Soil of the Year every year since 2005. Intertidal flat soils are Soil of the Year 2020.

Climate change, air pollution and contaminated water bodies harm more than just the environment. "Planet Gesundheit", the new interactive exhibition opened today shows how to manage daily life with fewer risks and side effects to health and the planet.

Greening the office roof, unsealing the schoolyard, farming crops which are adapted to climate change, flood management measures, etc. This is the fourth time the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is acknowledging local and regional projects which make a real contribution to coping with the effects of climate change in Germany.

More and more proof of global warming is becoming evident.

The "SeeElefant" maritime waste collection ship, a house made from cardboard, integrating mealworm farms in bakeries, an urban e-bike sharing system – the winners of the eighth Federal Ecodesign Award offer up innovative solutions and creativity in products and ideas on sustainable lifestyles in times of resource scarcity and climate change.

New record high in packaging waste: 18.7 million tonnes accrued.

Adjust taxes, reduce noise, promote rail and climate-friendly fuels.