Press | Umweltbundesamt

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more