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In the first half of 2026, around 57 percent of the electricity consumed in Germany came from renewable energy sources. This is shown by new data from the Working Group on Renewable Energy Statistics (AGEE-Stat). According to the figures, around six per cent more electricity was generated from wind, hydro, solar and bioenergy than in the same period the previous year.

New findings from the Federal Environment Agency’s (UBA) “Future? Ask Young People!” survey series show that environmental and climate protection is continuing to lose importance among 14- to 22-year-olds in Germany. Only around a third now consider the issue to be “very important”. In 2021, this figure was still half of those surveyed. 

Im Jahr 2025 haben die 1.794 stationären Industrie- und Energieanlagen in Deutschland im Europäischen Emissionshandel 1 (EU-ETS 1) etwa 264 Millionen Tonnen CO₂-Äquivalente ausgestoßen.

Certain medicines contain per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds, known as PFAS, which are increasingly harming the environment due to their persistence. A new study commissioned by Germany's Federal Environment Agency (UBA) shows that many PFAS active ingredients used in medicines can be replaced by alternative active ingredients.

97 Prozent der Badegewässer mit „ausgezeichnet“ oder „gut“ bewertet.

When you save energy, you save money. By reducing your reliance on fossil fuels you protect the climate and the environment. Germany's Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has analysed five quick tips for consumers and estimated the savings they can generate.

A study commissioned by the German Environment Agency (UBA) shows that atmospheric measurements can be used to determine and localise emissions of particularly climate-damaging gases such as sulphur hexafluoride.

The decline in climate-harming emissions in Germany has slowed. This is shown by the emissions data published by the German Environment Agency (UBA) for 2025. According to these figures, Germany emitted around 649 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents last year. 

Greenhouse gases and other pollutant emissions not only harm the environment and the climate; they also cause significant damage to the economy and human health. Appropriate measures can prevent these damages. To make these effects visible and comparable, UBA has been using scientific models to calculate the economic cost of environmental pollution and climate change since 2007.

Two years ago, the German Environment Agency (UBA) detected mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MnHexP) in the urine of adults. MnHexP is a breakdown product of the plasticiser di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHexP), which is considered toxic to reproduction and is therefore not authorised in the EU. The findings could be traced back to contamination of a UV filter used in sunscreens. 

Air pollution control measures are paying off: In 2025, Germany once again complied with all limit values under the European air quality directives. For particulate matter, this marks the eighth consecutive year; for nitrogen dioxide, the second. However, the average exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide was higher than in previous years.

At their annual press conference on 27 January, the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR) presented the latest figures on packaging recycling. Common misconceptions about plastics and glass recycling prove unfounded upon closer inspection.