Press | Umweltbundesamt

Refrigeration and air conditioning systems can be found virtually everywhere: in hotels, factories, and private households.  If the systems contain more than three kilogrammes of fluorinated greenhouse gases as their coolant, they must be checked for leakage at least once a year, pursuant to Regulation (EC) Nr. 842/2006 governing certain fluorinated greenhouse gases.  In future, only certified per... read more

Some 630,000 tonnes of laundry detergent are sold in Germany every year, adding up to nearly eight kilogrammes per person per year. When cleaning and other care products are added, the per capita consumption figure doubles. The majority of laundry detergents and cleaning agents contain fragrances, and there is relatively little knowledge about their impact on human health and the environment. One... read more

The phasing out of nuclear energy use, due to be complete by 2020, will not compromise Germany’s electricity supply.  This is the core conclusion of a new study by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) titled Atomausstieg und Versorgungssicherheit [Quitting nuclear energy and supply security]. News headlines last week depicted a situation whereby Germany would experience shortages of electricity by... read more

‘Protecting health from climate change’ is the motto of this year’s World Health Day. The effects of climate change and extreme weather events have a negative impact on human health.  The extraordinarily long hot season in August 2003 in many parts of western Europe resulted in more than 40,000 deaths than otherwise usual, with some 7,000 cases in Germany.  Those affected in large measure were the... read more

Spring has sprung, and for many it is an opportunity to clear up at home and bid winter farewell.  To those concerned not only about cleanliness but also about our environment, the following advice by Prof. Dr. Andreas Troge, President of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA): Use detergents and cleansing agents as indicated. It saves energy, chemicals and water—and is better for health. Lots of... read more

Although the German businesses participating in emissions trading in 2007 produced some 487 million tonnes of climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) - amounting to 9.7 million tonnes, or two percent more than in 2006 - emissions trading already proved itself effective during the first trading period.  Average CO2 emissions of 479 million tonnes in the first trading period (2005-2007) were slightly... read more

Flame retardants save lives, for they can prevent fires. Many manufacturers therefore make use of these substances in electrical and electronic devices, insulation materials, or textiles.  However, some of these would-be lifesavers are not entirely benign. It is brominated flame retardants in particular which can spread into the environment or accumulate in the food chain or in the human being. Th... read more

The Act Governing the Sale, Return and Environmentally Sound Disposal of Electrical and electronic Equipment (ElektroG), which was transposed into law three years ago, has also stipulated for the past two years that used equipment be separated and disposed of.  Responsibility for disposal is in producers’ hands.  Consumers have since been able to dispose of waste electrical and electronic equipmen... read more