Press | Umweltbundesamt

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke has commissioned the German Environment Agency to collect all available data, tip-offs and hypotheses concerning the mass die-off of fish in the Oder river and carry out a systematic evaluation of the information with experts from other authorities in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. read more

A new cooperation agreement between the Merseburg University of Applied Sciences and the German Environment Agency lays the foundation for their cooperation in the fields of the environment and digitalisation. The occasion and central element of this partnership is the establishment of the National Centre for Environmental and Nature Conservation Information (umwelt.info). read more

With effect from 1 July 2022, food retailers with a total sales area of at least 800 square metres who offer electrical and electronic equipment several times a year or on a permanent basis must now also take back waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) free of charge. This will apply to the majority of food retailers in Germany. read more

Climate change is resulting in an increasing number of hot summer days in Germany. Tropical nights – when the temperature doesn't fall below 20 °C – are increasing. This is a particular burden for vulnerable groups in densely populated inner cities. A recent study by the UBA has systematically investigated how cooler temperatures can be realised in inner-city neighbourhoods and their buildings. read more

The European Commission has presented a draft regulation on the sustainable use of pesticides, which aims to drastically reduce their application. The German Environment Agency (UBA) welcomes the proposed regulation but believes its guidelines could be improved to ensure it works in practice. read more

The German Environment Agency (UBA) has been awarded the audit berufundfamilie certificate on 21 June 2022 in recognition of its efforts to foster a healthy family- and life-phase-conscious culture at the workplace. An online event to celebrate the award was attended by well-wishers. read more

Germany's roughly 1,730 fixed installations included in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) emitted around 355 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-eq). This represents an 11% increase compared to 2020, meaning that the 2019 pre-pandemic level was only undercut by about 8 million tonnes of (CO₂-eq). read more

The German Environment Agency (UBA) has proposed aligning VAT more closely with ecological and social criteria. The core of the "Climate and Environment Relief Package" is to exempt plant-based staple foods such as fruit, vegetables, grain products and vegetable oils and public passenger transport from VAT altogether. read more