Press

The state and its administration have an important role to play in protecting the climate. That is why many public authorities have set themselves the goal of becoming greenhouse gas-neutral. The guide describes the path to a greenhouse gas-neutral administration with the help of nine stages, gives recommendations and makes implementation on site easier with many practical examples.

Measured concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 2020 exceeded the annual mean limit of 40 µg/m³ of air at only about 3 to 4 percent of measuring stations located near road traffic, compared to 21 percent in 2019. Nitrogen dioxide pollution overall continues to decline throughout Germany.

The consequences of climate change pose economic risks for companies. A recent study by the German Environment Agency (UBA) shows that only about half of the DAX 30 companies report publicly on these risks. None of the 100 largest companies studied provides information on whether the corporate strategy is resilient to stronger climate change.

Germany emitted a total of 809.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2019. This is around 46 million tonnes or 5.4% less than in 2018, and 35.1% less compared to 1990, according to the results of calculations submitted by the German Environment Agency (UBA) to the European Commission.

For ten years now, the Federal Ecodesign Award (Bundespreis Ecodesign) has shown how environmental and climate protection, innovation and excellent design can be combined. In its anniversary year, the jury of the highest state award for ecodesign is once again on the lookout for groundbreaking concepts, services and products.

Germany is set to launch the national emissions trading system for fuels on 1 January 2021. The trading system is intended to help reduce CO2 emissions in the heating and transport sectors. Until 2022, petrol, diesel, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas will initially be part of the national emissions trading system.

Greenhouse gases, nitrogen emissions and other environmental pollution cause damage to human health and destroy ecosystems. They also lead to production losses, crop losses and damage to buildings and infrastructure. For many of these damages, there are established scientific methods to express them in monetary terms.

The share of renewable energies in gross electricity consumption will be around 46 percent for the full year 2020 – a good four percentage points higher than the figure for the full year 2019 (42%). The increase was due to an increase in electricity generation from renewable sources of about five per cent, but also to a decrease in electricity consumption in the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly three quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle of a product are generated as early as the production stage, says a study for the German Environment Agency (UBA) which focuses on the greenhouse gas emissions of online retail (“Greening E-Commerce”). The study reports that the share of retail and transport accounts for only one to ten percent of total emissions.

Particulate matter pollution in the early hours of New Year's Day is usually at some of the highest levels of the whole year, especially in metropolitan areas and cities – due to New Year's fireworks and emissions of particulate matter. It was previously assumed that 4,500 tonnes of particulate matter emitted by fireworks are to blame for the poor air quality.

A virtual journey to a high alpine glacier, rescued crockery, recyclable denim production or the revival of old variety vegetables – the winners of the German Federal Ecodesign Award look for solutions to a more sustainable lifestyle with pioneering projects that are both ecological and excellent in their design.

On 30.11. and 1.12.2020 the conference „PFAS - Dealing with contaminants of emerging concern“ took place. Experts from Europe and around the world exchanged views online on how to deal with environmental pollution caused by poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). Because of their unique properties, these more than 5,000 substances are used in a wide variety of products.