Public authorities

About 500 German undertakings are obliged to include sustainability-related information in their annual reports. According to the plans of the EU Commission more undertakings shall report in the future and apply uniform reporting standards. A study on behalf of UBA recommends precise requirements for reporting on targets, actions and performance indicators and corporate greenhouse gas neutrality.

“Public administrations must pioneer and be a role model in climate protection”, said Dirk Messner, President of the German Environment Agency (UBA) at an online meeting of the Network of Heads of European Environmental Administrations (EPA Network) on November 25th. He presented UBA’s guide on greenhouse gas neutral administrations, now also available in English.

Information on sustainability in the textile and fashion industry - this is what the new online platform www.sustainfashion.info by HEJSupport offers, funded by the UBA as part of an Associations project. Different aspects of the sector are highlighted, such as environmental pollution or human rights, and allows people to speak who share their visions for more sustainability.

Air pollution, climate change, land sealing, waste and water management are some of the greatest environmental challenges for urban areas. To tackle these challenges, cities need sufficient funds, staff, technical innovation, political commitment, and a national framework and incentives. An UBA study examined six urban areas in six countries.

Access to all German environmental information and data via one platform – that is the goal of the new National Environmental Information Centre, which the Federal Ministry for the Environment will set up in Merseburg from the summer of 2021.

At its first meeting on May 25, 2021, the newly formed Resources Commission at the German Environment Agency (UBA) was constituted for the appointment period 2021 to 2024. The Resource Commission consists of 18 experts from science, industry, administration, and civil society, who were personally appointed by the President of UBA.

In the context of the EU Green Week, UBA organised a partner event on the need to finally include biocides in Directive 2009/128/EC on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides or similar legislation. Contributions from stakeholders showed the need for regulatory provisions and also highlighted the opportunities this would bring to foster innovation towards sustainability.

Airborne ultrafine particles can be harmful to human health. A study by the German Environment Agency (UBA) at Frankfurt Airport has demonstrated that ultrafine particle (UFP) load in the vicinity of airports can be significantly elevated. Engine emissions are shown to be the major cause, contributing 90 per cent of total load.