Press | Umweltbundesamt

To mark National Heat Action Day, the German Environment Agency (UBA) has published a study on heat-related mortality in Germany. For over four years, researchers from the UBA and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) have worked to refine the calculation of heat-related deaths in Germany. It was found that around 3,000 heat-related deaths in Germany occurred in both summer 2023 and 2024. read more

A large number of fish in German rivers are contaminated with rat poison residues. For the first time, an extensive laboratory study commissioned by the German Environment Agency has investigated the effects of rodenticides on fish health. The result: Even at the concentrations measured in the livers of wild fish, severe symptoms such as blood clotting disorders, bleeding and anaemia occurred. read more

TFA belongs to the group of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). German authorities demand new hazard classification of the substance considered toxic for reproduction and harmful to the environment. read more

The 2025 German Prize for Nature Writing is to be awarded to Franziska Füchsl. Elgin Hertel and Laura Vogt are each to receive a scholarship to attend the Art and Nature Foundation’s 2025 Nature Writing Seminar, south of Munich. The award ceremony will be held as part of the international literaturfestival berlin on Sept. 17, at 6 pm on the Small Stage of the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. read more

The majority of people in Germany continue to perceive both the environmental protection and climate change mitigation efforts as important. However, the topic continues to decline in relative perceived significance for the public read more

Technical interventions to mitigate the climate crisis are increasingly being discussed internationally. One frequently mentioned intervention is solar radiation modification (SRM). There are several approaches to this, all of which the UBA believes are highly risky and do not represent a practicable solution to the climate crisis. The UBA has now published its findings in a brochure. read more

Since 2024, manufacturers of certain single-use plastic products have been required to bear certain costs for waste disposal and the cleanup of public spaces. Such efforts were previously funded by the general public. The costs for manufacturers are calculated based on the quantity of their products placed on the market annually. read more

In the modern consumer society, household appliances are often quickly disposed of and replaced with newer and supposedly better products. One argument for this is the greater energy efficiency of the new appliance. read more