News

Production of biomass and its use to generate electricity and heat have increased greatly in Germany in recent years, driven by the Renewable Energy Sources Act. The Agriculture Commission at the UBA (KLU) has formulated recommendations on how its further expansion can be designed in an environmentally and nature-friendly way.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published Part II of the current World Climate Report on 31 March 2014.

Federal Environment Agency gives the all-clear: despite high levels of antibiotics use in industrialised farming, Germany’s groundwater is mostly uncontaminated.

Under the European Chemicals legislation REACH the release of a substance into the environment is estimated on the basis of emission factors.

Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany rose again slightly in 2013, by 1.2 per cent compared to the previous year.

Since 2006 environmental and nature conservation associations have had the right to take legal action if certain administrative decisions such as the approval of industrial installations violate environmental provisions. An analysis of practice to date reveals that this right is an effective instrument to ensure that justice is done to the environment.

An advisory assistance project supported Bulgaria in bringing the quality management system for its greenhouse gas inventory into line with scientific and technical progress.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has begun an advisory assistance project managed by UBA, entitled “Environmental monitoring using satellite remote sensing methods based on the example of spring flooding in the Republic of Bashkortostan/Russia”.

Biomass materials such as wood, maize starch or vegetable oil should not automatically be used for energy.

The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) and UBA present joint recommendations for action.

Poor air quality can have serious impacts on our health and the environment. How is Europe’s air quality? What are the main sources of air pollutants? How do they affect our health and the environment? What does Europe do to improve air quality?