Press

Titled "Transformation and Irritation: Sustainability and Culture in Times of Radical Change", the German Environment Agency (UBS)'s fifth Sustainability Transformation Conference took place on 20 March 2025 at the dbb forum in Berlin. National and international experts discussed the interactions between environmental, sustainability and cultural policy.

Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany fell by 3.4 percent to 649 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024 compared to 2023, data published by the the German Environment Agency (UBA) shows.

The German Environment Agency (UBA) examined second-hand sales platforms as part of an EU-wide investigation by the European Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC).

Climate-neutral, sustainable, recyclable – companies like to advertise their products with these or similar environmental claims. However, not all claims are legally permissible.

The court has ruled in favour of UBA in its fight against misleading greenwashing. In its ruling of 20 February 2025, the Federal Court of Justice confirmed the decision of the lower court, the Dessau-Roßlau Regional Court. The court had imposed strict controls on general and comparative advertising. Information on offers for CO₂ offsetting must be meaninful and transparent.

Air pollution control measures are proving effective. In Germany, 2024 is the first year in which all limit values set by the European Air Quality Directive have been met. This is the seventh consecutive year that particulate matter levels have remained within the prescribed limits.

The publishing house Matthes & Seitz Berlin, in cooperation with the German Environment Agency and the Art and Nature Foundation, is once again awarding the German Prize for Nature Writing, which is endowed with €10,000.

Finding reliable information about environmental issues is not an easy task. While there is an abundance of facts and data on forests, soils and water bodies, their quality can vary.

In 2026, the German Prize for Nature Writing enters its ninth call for submissions. The prize is awarded by Matthes & Seitz Berlin in cooperation with the German Environment Agency and the Art and Nature Foundation. The award includes prize money of EUR 10,000 and is under the patronage of the President of the German Environment Agency, Dirk Messner.

Der Trend ist positiv. Insgesamt wurden von den dualen Systemen 2023 im Vergleich zum Vorjahr mehr Verpackungen recycelt. Das gaben das Umweltbundesamt (UBA) und die Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (ZSVR) am 21. Januar 2025 auf einer gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz bekannt. Die strikte Mülltrennung ist die zentrale Voraussetzung, um das Recycling weiter auszubauen.

Sustainability in supermarkets has many facets. It ranges from resource-conserving food production and environmentally friendly packaging to the avoidance of food waste.

In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions in Germany fell by 10.3 per cent compared to 2022. This is shown by the results of the calculations submitted by the German Environment Agency (UBA) to the European Commission on 15 January 2025.