Press

The “Urban-Rural-Plus” project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) examined how urban and rural areas can work together more effectively to combine the advantages of both and compensate for deficits, for example in the areas of nutrition, housing, trade, recycling management and local recreation.

The winners of the German “Blauer Kompass” Prize 2024 confirmed. With over 300 applications, the nationwide competition for the highest state honour for climate crisis preparedness and adaptation once again set a new participation record.

This year, the German Ecodesign Award has reached a milestone, as more than 400 innovative and sustainable projects were submitted – a record that demonstrates the high value placed on ecodesign.

Germany intends to become climate-neutral by 2045. This goal requires a sufficient number of well-qualified specialists to implement and advance the necessary measures on the road to a sustainable society.

Am 1. Juli 2024 ist das Klimaanpassungsgesetz (KAnG) in Kraft getreten. Für die Bundesländer bildet es den Rechtsrahmen, eigene Klimaanpassungsstrategien vorzulegen, und dafür Sorge zu tragen, dass die Kommunen Klimaanpassungskonzepte aufstellen. Eine erste bundesweite, repräsentative Umfrage im Auftrag des UBA zeigt nun, dass eine Mehrheit der befragten Kommunen bei dem Thema aktiv ist.

From 10 to 11 September 2024, the 6th REACH Congress took place at the German Environment Agency (UBA) in Dessau-Rosslau with more than 500 experts from companies, scientists, non-governmental organisations and public authorities. The discussion focussed on solutions to avoid harmful emissions of chemicals into the environment.

The intensive and complex educational work of the German Environment Agency (UBA) in the area of Upstream Emission Reductions (UER) is showing further success: For eight UER projects in China, for which a decision on approval had to be made by 31 August 2024, the UBA will not issue the requested approvals due to irregularities identified by the UBA.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the German Environment Agency (UBA) are organising the German SUSTAINABLE BUILDING Award for the third time.

The Single-Use Plastic Fund Act obliges manufacturers, from 2024, to bear the costs of single-use plastic products collected as waste in streets or parks. While the digital platform DIVID, set up by the UBA, was initially only available for the registration of manufacturers in Germany, eligible parties and foreign manufacturers have also been able to register there since 1 August 2024.

Capacity expansion must be further accelerated to meet climate and energy targets. In the heating sector, mild weather led to lower demand for heating. In the mobility sector, the use of renewable electricity in transport increased slightly.

The European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS 1) covers emissions from energy-intensive industry, the energy sector and intra-European aviation. In 2023, the 1,725 stationary installations in Germany covered by the EU ETS 1 emitted around 289 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-eq). This corresponds to a reduction of around 18 per cent compared to the previous year.

Sponge city concepts are an essential basis for adapting cities to extreme weather events such as heavy rain, heat and drought. Many local authorities are working toward that aim. However, it is becoming increasingly important to remove barriers so that towns and cities can better prepare for changing climate conditions.