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City centres have long been characterised by high levels of consumption. They now face major changes due to online retailing, the aftermath of COVID19 and the climate crisis. The UBA coordinated EU Interreg project “NiCE – from niche to centre”, started in May 2023. The project aims to take advantage of these changes and make city centres more attractive again by offering sustainable options.

The European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) will be aligned with the European climate protection target of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990. In May and June 2023, the legal acts entered into force. Now the European Commission, in agreement with the member states, must draw up a variety of rules to implement the reform.

From 14 to 16 February 2023, the International Academy Transformation for Environment and Sustainability at the UBA (abbreviated to "TES Academy") held a three-day workshop on "Corruption Prevention as a Prerequisite for Successful Sustainability Transformation". In a video statement, the participating international experts call for cooperation in the prevention of corruption.

The EU member states are currently discussing a proposal for new regulations on packaging and packaging waste. Six new UBA fact sheets support the discussion with facts and figures, experience from regulatory implementation in Germany, and background information relevant to the proposed new regulations.

Advanced materials are innovative materials of most diverse chemical composition and form. They can offer solutions to global challenges. Examples are carrier systems for novel active ingredients or graphene for future use in batteries. To ensure that the materials are safe and sustainable over their life cycle, certain cornerstones need to be considered.

The German Environment Agency has commissioned a project to study the effects of discharge water from exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) of ships on the marine environment. Scrubber discharge contains pollutants such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are classified as extremely hazardous. Discharge bans - at least regional - are recommended.

100 major copper, iron ore and bauxite (“aluminium ore”) mine sites worldwide have been assessed for their environmental hazard potentials. Results have been published in an interactive map with a number of filter functions. In particular, companies can use the map to analyse environmental risks along supply chains and to support their environmental due diligence.

The Russian attack on Ukraine represents a turning point. A working group from the German Environment Agency has analysed the consequences on sustainability policy and submitted concrete policy recommendations.

The coronavirus pandemic and the increased use of digital formats that it has triggered is resulting in changes in public transport. Fear of infection and changed work conditions caused demand to drop in 2020/2021 in Germany. Measures such as the 9-euro ticket have proven that it takes innovative approaches to make public transport more attractive. A recent study has evaluated ideas on the topic.

The quality of the drinking water in Germany is excellent. Its main source, groundwater, enjoys a high level of protection and should be as free as possible from chemical residues.

The new International Academy Transformation for Environment and Sustainability (TES Academy) has been launched in a pilot phase at UBA. The kick-off to the project is a virtual discussion series about the implications of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine on the sustainability transformation and how to respond to the situation.

Municipalities are affected differently by climate change due to various factors. The German Environment Agency (UBA) therefore recommends the implementation of municipal climate risk assessments along three essential steps: preparation, implementation and communication of the results. To support this, a handout provides information on the methodological procedure in addition to ISO 14091.