The environmental administration is the backbone for the promotion of sustainability and the development and implementation of environmental policies. For understanding environmental policies and sustainable development in Germany it is crucial to overview the constitutional background and the system of environmental administration in Germany. Therefore the German Environment Agency developed this guide for our international guest. The guide is based on  a study by the German Research Institute for Public Administration, Prof. Dr. Stefan Grohs, Nicolas Ullrich commissioned by the German Environment Agency. 

The guide is divided into five sections: After the introduction in Section 1, Section 2 introduces the wide range of subjects related to environmental protection in Germany. This is followed by Section 3, which describes the array of instruments the German environmental administration uses in pursuing its goals. The administrative structure in the Federal Republic of Germany, especially the division of tasks between the federal level, the level of the (Bundes-)Länder (federal states) and the local-level are explained in Section 4. Finally, Section 5 provides examples of important procedures and instruments in administrative environmental protection.