Heat pumps are an important option for heating buildings in a climate-neutral way. The fact that it can also be a good solution for older houses is demonstrated by many good practical examples. More on this in this issue of the newsletter.
Among other things, it also looks at where Germany stands in terms of achieving its climate targets and the European limit values for air quality and what can be done across Europe to combat the pollution of soils with the so-called forever chemicals PFAS.
We hope you find it an interesting read
Your UBA Press and Public Relations team
Heat pumps also work in existing buildings
Mr and Mrs Krüger heat efficiently and in a climate-friendly way with their heat pump.
Source: co2online
An air heat pump for a small terraced house? Ground collectors for an apartment block? A heat pump to support the heating system in a homeowners' community? There are still many questions when it comes to heat pumps. There is a great deal of uncertainty, especially for existing buildings: Is it really possible? And is it worth it? Since May 2024, the steadily growing number of good examples on the UBA portal “So geht’s mit Wärmepumpen!“ (“This is how it works with heat pumps!”) has shown that it can be done and how it can be done.
Examples of listed buildings, terraced houses and optimisation
A listed half-timbered house built in 1932 in one of the coldest regions of Germany saves 2,000 Euros a year on heating costs after installing a heat pump – without any facade insulation. A small terraced house without a garden or cellar is fitted with an air-to-water heat pump on the roof: “The heat pump can't be heard from outside and is usually very quiet inside the house. We sleep just one metre away from the indoor unit, and only occasionally does a low-frequency noise occur, which is still to be optimised through fine-tuning by the manufacturer,” writes the owner of the building.
Sometimes the new heating system doesn't work as expected at first. The Mücke family realised that the system was inefficient and provided poor level of comfort in terms of hot water. However, a retrofit solved the problem; efficiency was significantly improved, resulting in heating cost savings of 30 to 40 percent.
Examples also for apartment blocks and non-residential buildings
On “This is how it works with heat pumps!” there are also projects in non-residential buildings and apartment blocks. As the required flow temperatures and heating loads were not easy to determine due to the age of the building (built in 1890) and of the heating system, a homeowners' community from Konstanz decided in favour of a heat pump, which is supported by the existing gas heating in a hybrid system.
In the projects in the portal, homeowners or those involved in planning, energy consulting or architecture report first-hand on their experiences. Many have also provided an email address as a contact option.
Be a role model and share your heat pump experience!
Do you have a heat pump yourself in Germany? Then you are already a role model. Share your experience with others and show your project in the heat pump portal (in German)! Do you know other households with heat pumps in Germany? Then please forward this e-mail!
Support from the project team
ifeu, co2online and Ingenieurbüro Heckmann are supporting the UBA as part of a research project with the design, development, maintenance and external communication of the “So geht’s mit Wärmepumpen!” portal. The project team can be contacted by e-mail at: UBA-WP-Datenbank@co2online.de .
Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany fell by 3.4 percent to 649 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024 compared to 2023, data published by the the German Environment Agency (UBA) shows.
What do people mean when they talk about the “1.5°C goal” in the context of climate change? What is the origin of this value and how is it quantified? What happens if we exceed it – is there any way back down below a global warming of 1.5°C? In this text, we look at the emergence of the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement and explain why we need to keep it within reach.
Sustainable cooling and heating of buildings is becoming more and more important – this years Green Cooling Summit leads the way to hands-on solutions. The event jointly organized by GIZ Proklima and the German Environment Agency on the behalf of the German Ministry for the Environment will be held again as a pure online format.
Concepts, Risks and Governance of intervention in the global climate system through solar geoengineering
Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) can neither conserve the current nor restore the pre-industrial climate. It would create an unpredictable new global climate with significant regional impacts. This brochure explains the risks of SRM for food security, justice and actual climate action. It explains the various SRM approaches and how they are supposed to work. It also describes the state of…
With a focus on the German Climate Preparedness Portal
After five years of operation, a comprehensive evaluation of the KlimAdapt project, consisting of the German Climate Preparedness Portal (KLiVO-Portal) and its accompanying network, was carried out in 2024. The aim was to examine the impact and use of the portal, particularly from a user perspective. The evaluation is divided into five main questions, which were answered through a secondary…
This report aims to inform the implementation of the German Action Plan with experiences from other countries that have also developed NbS measures to strengthen their natural carbon sinks. Six case study countries were selected for analysis: United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Ethiopia, Indonesia, Brazil and China. These countries were chosen because their NDCs mention NbS…
This report summarizes the results of the research project “Scientific support for the design of an EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework” that provided support to national policy makers during the CRCF negotiation process.
This report explains the calculation of the updated typical greenhouse gas emission values for the cultivation of agricultural raw materials for NUTS 2 regions in Germany and presents the results. The calculations for eleven energy crops are based on updated input variables consisting of standardized factors and comprehensive data sources such as yields, fertilizer consumption and diesel…
Climate Change
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UBA CO₂ calculator – new look with improved user guidance
This year, the UBA CO₂ calculator has not only updated the calculation factors, but also implemented improvements in user guidance. In addition to a new landing page, there are now direct aids for completing the queries. The “My climate policy” tool, which illustrates the impact of political measures on personal carbon footprints, has also been newly implemented. read more (in German)
How much does the federal government spend on climate adaptation? – an approximation
Adaptation to the consequences of climate change affects many policy areas. But how much the German federal government spends on adaptation activities was previously unknown. A new methodology developed by the German Environment Agency makes it possible to estimate the expenditure. An initial evaluation of the 2022 federal budget plan shows that between 2.1 billion euros and 3.4 billion euros was set aside for adaptation in 255 budget items. read more (in German)
CO₂ emissions per kilowatt hour of electricity decreased in 2024
Calculations by the German Environment Agency (UBA) show that the specific greenhouse gas emission factors in the German electricity mix continued to fall in 2024. The main reasons for this are the increased share of renewable energies, the fall in electricity consumption as a result of economic stagnation and the fact that more electricity was imported than exported. read more (in German)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in China: the topics are set, the timeframe is not
At the end of February, the most important figures in international climate science and the member states of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) met in China to discuss the seventh reporting cycle on the status of climate change, which began in 2023. UBA staff members were part of the German delegation. One particularly controversial point of discussion in China was the timeframe for the seventh assessment report. read more (in German)
German national railway cools with natural refrigerant
Flammable natural refrigerants for railway air conditioning were previously a taboo for the railways. A field test has now demonstrated the feasibility of such a concept. A passenger train with a propane air conditioning system travelled on a regular service for a year. The propane system is at least as energy efficient as the system with the conventional fluorinated refrigerant. read more (in German)
Use of hydropower
According to the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), the expansion of renewable energies – including the use of hydropower – is recognised as being fundamentally in the public interest. The German Environment Agency has produced a factsheet on the question of how far this fundamental public interest extends when weighing up different interests in planning and authorisation law for hydropower plants. read more (in German)
Heavy metals, plasticisers or the “forever chemicals” PFAS – there are many environmental pollutants that children and young people come into contact with. But how high is their exposure in reality? And what impact can it have on the health of young people?
Discovery of a plasticiser in urine samples – Questions & Answers
At the beginning of 2024 and in February 2025, the German State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia (LANUV) reported the discovery of mono-n-hexyl phthalate in urine samples from children. The substance was also detected in adult urine samples as part of the sixth German Environmental Health Study (GerES VI). Here, the German Environment Agency (UBA) provides answers to the most frequently asked questions. read more (in German)
The conference “PFAS in soil – forever pollution, forever concern?” focused on soil pollution caused by PFAS. Some 150 participants from science, public institutions, industry and environmental organisations attended the conference and 200 more joined via live stream to discuss the risks, in particular for human health. More international cooperation is needed to tackle this problem effectively.
In this 4th Summer School on Sustainable Pharmacy special attention will be given to areas not taught in the regular study program. These are e.g. drug quality and the role of excipients, environmental, regulatory and legal aspects as well as pharmacoepidemiology and global aspects of sustainable pharmacy, like production outside of Europe and health systems of sub-Sahara Africa.
This report describes the scientific background, relevant preliminary considerations and experimental work performed for the development of a future OECD Test Guideline on determining solubility and dissolution rate of nanomaterials in aqueous environmental media. It gives insight into the derivation of the various test approaches considering relevant environmental conditions and the validation of…
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Trends of trifluoroacetic acid in trees from 1985 to 2022
Trifluoroacetic acid is a persistent and highly mobile substance whose levels in deciduous and coniferous trees have risen sharply over the last 25 years. A current study examines this development using archived leaves and needles from the German Environmental Specimen Bank. read more (in German)
The court has ruled in favour of UBA in its fight against misleading greenwashing. In its ruling of 20 February 2025, the Federal Court of Justice confirmed the decision of the lower court, the Dessau-Roßlau Regional Court. The court had imposed strict controls on general and comparative advertising. Information on offers for CO₂ offsetting must be meaninful and transparent.
Data on tourist mobility requested at regional level
Although the significance of tourist transport in terms of climate protection is well known, this transport is not continuously recorded empirically at all levels in Germany. This applies in particular to the regional level, where data collection is inadequate and incomplete. A project of the German Environment Agency (UBA) is therefore attempting to close this gap. We need your help to do this. read more (in German)
Climate-neutral, sustainable, recyclable – companies like to advertise their products with these or similar environmental claims. However, not all claims are legally permissible.
The German Environment Agency (UBA) examined second-hand sales platforms as part of an EU-wide investigation by the European Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC).
#WareWunder – UBA launches campaign for sustainable consumption
The German Environment Agency (UBA) is launching a campaign called #WareWunder in June 2025 to integrate sustainable products more strongly into consumers' everyday lives. The campaign will focus on seven environmentally friendly products that offer additional benefits such as cost savings, convenience and health. Local authorities, companies and NGOs are being called upon to take part in the campaign. read more (in German)
Environmental innovation programme saves wood in cross laminated timber production
With the support of the Environmental Innovation Programme, the production of high-quality cross laminated timber at Holzwerke van Roje GmbH & Co. KG in Rhineland-Palatinate saves around 17 percent wood compared to state-of-the-art methods by recycling waste and residual wood from its own production. The technology could also be used by other wood processing companies. read more (in German)
Integrating climate protection aspects into complex eco-labelling
A new UBA study summarises how carbon footprints can be used to determine the greenhouse gas emissions of products, which measures lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and which climate protection projects can be used to offset these emissions. It will then look at how these aspects can be integrated into multi-criteria eco-labelling schemes. read more (in German)
Principles and requirements for the development of consistent indicator systems
Today, a large number of resource and circular economy (CE) indicators based on different conceptual and methodological approaches can be found in scientific literature, studies, and policy programs. To facilitate the selection of suitable indicators, this position paper is divided into two parts: Part I presents guidelines for indicators and indicator systems that enable the classification of…
Evaluation of the collection categories with regard to their suitability for regeneration and the effects of changes in mobility and technology on the distribution and composition of the collection categories
On the one hand, the research project updated the calculation basis of the model used by the Federal Environment Agency to calculate waste oil flows, and on the other hand, analyses of waste oils were carried out to examine their reprocessability. Here, suitable waste oils from certain areas of application were identified only in individual cases for waste oils assigned to collection category 2 of…
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Evaluation of the recycling rates of the Packaging Act
A recent study commissioned by the German Environment Agency has evaluated the recycling rates of the Packaging Act and drawn up proposals for their further development. A comparison with the recycling results for commercial packaging shows a comparable level for paper and metals, while household packaging achieves higher recycling rates for plastics. read more (in German)
Air pollution control measures are proving effective. In Germany, 2024 is the first year in which all limit values set by the European Air Quality Directive have been met. This is the seventh consecutive year that particulate matter levels have remained within the prescribed limits.
New UBA information film: Heating with wood – what to consider
A crackling open fire – cosy, but often anything but environmentally friendly. Wood-burning stoves cause a lot of particulate matter and CO₂. If you still want to heat with a wood-burning stove, you should choose low-emission models, operate them correctly and maintain them regularly. The new UBA information film „Heizen mit Holz“ (“Heating with wood”) shows how the environmental impact of wood-burning stoves can be reduced. read more (in German)
Particulate matter from Easter fires
Easter bonfires are a traditional custom that is primarily intended to welcome spring and symbolise the banishment of winter. However, Easter bonfires also produce particulate matter that is harmful to health. read more (in German)
Glaciers are impressive natural wonders and have a decisive influence on the stability of the planetary ecosystem. These ice masses play a central role in the global water cycle, as 70 per cent of the world's freshwater resources are tied up in glaciers.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) aims to develop Regional Environmental Management Plans (REMPs) in marine regions where there is an interest in deep-sea mining. The REMPs will be a sectoral management tool and offer the opportunity to implement an ecosystem-based management approach. The presented study aims to contribute to this discussion by recommending a standardised approach for the…
In the project techniques have been presented that can be ‘best available techniques’ (BAT) in cattle farming according to the German Immission Control Act criteria for BAT. The techniques are suitable for reducing environmental impacts. Since the new Industrial Emissions Directive (IED, EU 2024/1785) does not include cattle in its scope, the results will currently have no direct influence on the…
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Soil / Land
KBU recommends amendment of the Federal Soil Protection Act
The Soil Protection Commission (KBU) at the UBA recommends that the Federal Soil Protection Act (BBodSchG) be expanded with a view to protecting the soil. Only then can the challenges in the areas of climate change, water balance in the countryside, nutrient cycles and biodiversity be met. read more (in German)
Sustainability / Strategies / International matters
Titled "Transformation and Irritation: Sustainability and Culture in Times of Radical Change", the German Environment Agency (UBS)'s fifth Sustainability Transformation Conference took place on 20 March 2025 at the dbb forum in Berlin. National and international experts discussed the interactions between environmental, sustainability and cultural policy.
The “SDG Pathways” research project used the iSDG model, which was adapted to German data, to develop an assessment approach for modeling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in ambitious climate and resource scenarios up to 2050. The results show that an ambitious climate and resource policy improves the SDG targets overall. The study highlights the differences between dynamic…
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Toolbook for transformation design as a valuable practical aid
The project "Transformation fitness for sustainability projects: Training environmental projects and other sustainability initiatives in transformation fitness, using a DIY toolbook and training courses in participatory project, organisational and democratic development for sustainable transformation design" has led to a toolbook that is based on a great deal of process experience. read more (in German)
New study published on the development of environmental organisations
In times of polycrisis, transgression of planetary boundaries and social polarisation, the demands on environmental organisations are great. The new study by the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU e.V.) sheds light on the structural development and handling of the challenges faced by environmental organisations in Germany since the year 2000. read more (in German)
Summary report of the project “Digitalisation and sustainability at EU level: Opportunities and risks of digitalisation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at EU level”
With the 'twin transition', the European Union aims to combine digitalisation and sustainability in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The research project "Digitalisation and sustainability at EU level" examined the opportunities and risks of digitalisation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The analysis showed that these two…
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UBA news
Carina Harms is new head of UBA's Central Office Division
As of 1 April 2025, Carina Harms is the new Head of the Central Office Division of the German Environment Agency (UBA). Previously, the political science graduate was head of the UBA’s “Administration and Services” Division, which is also part of the Central Office Division. read more (in German)
140 submissions for the German Prize for Nature Writing 2025
The submission period for the German Prize for Nature Writing 2025 is closed. There were 140 submissions in total. From poetry and essays to prose, a wide range of literary genres is once again represented and is now being scrutinised by the jury. read more (in German)
As recounted
54.4
The share of renewable energies in gross electricity consumption rose to 54.4 per cent in 2024. This was the highest it has ever been.
