Press | Umweltbundesamt

TV sets are to use less energy in future. Citizens can see just how much by means of new energy use labelling, which is the result of a resolution passed in late March by the EU Member States in a regulatory committee for eco-design in Brussels.  Approval by the EU Parliament and Council is still pending. Once the regulations enter into force, a total of 43 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy over the... read more

The newly launched Blue Angel for low-noise and fuel-saving tyres has set new and ambitious standards relating to environment, health and economy that are orientated towards the caps that will apply across the EU as of 2012. The criteria for award of the Blue Angel make high demands of tyres: they must be low-noise and use little fuel, and this will ease the load on car drivers’ purses as well. Mo... read more

Demographic change and its consequences could cause a deterioration of real estate values in many regions of Germany and thus lead to considerable losses of fortune. The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is calling upon the governments at federal, Länder and municipal levels to counteract the impact of demographic changes now with a view to mitigation. ”The most crucial measure to be taken is to sl... read more

The quality of the drinking water supplied by Germany’s more than 2,600 large central water utilities rates ‘good’ to ‘very good’. This is the conclusion reached in the second report by the Federal Ministry for Health (BMG) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) on the quality of water intended for human consumption, which reviewed the years 2005-2007. According to the report, more than 99 perce... read more

Operators and facilities in Germany subject to emissions trading generated a total of 473 million tonnes of ozone-depleting carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2008, representing a reduction of 14 million tonnes of emissions on 2007 levels. Operators participating in emissions trading were in major part responsible for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. When taking into account the extended sc... read more

Compared to the previous year, total greenhouse gas emissions in Germany in 2008 were reduced by almost 12 million tonnes, which constitutes a decrease of around 1.2 percent. Total emissions amount to 945 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent and are therefore within the target corridor of the Kyoto Protocol, according to which Germany has to reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions by an average 21... read more

Global warming is a fact, and as the climate changes so do humans’ living conditions- also in Germany. Although we are making efforts to reduce climate-damaging emissions of carbon dioxide, global warming has made its mark and impact on ecology, the economy, and culture. There are two art exhibitions soon to be held at the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) in Dessau-Roßlau that focus on these theme... read more

Businesses will soon not only be leading cars and computers but also chemicals. The  Federal Environment Agency (UBA) makes this proposal in its ”Sustainable Chemicals” paper. The idea is simple: producers or importers no longer sell a chemical, say a solvent used in printed-circuit-board production, but instead provide the benefits obtained from the chemical, including its professional and ecolog... read more