sustainability

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Series: The relevance of the War in Ukraine for transformation

Weltkugelfahnen

The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the urgently needed sustainability transformation face new challenges due to the Russia’s war against Ukraine. Especially in European societies, many initiated changes are currently re-evaluated under the unprecedented geopolitical situation ("Zeitenwende"), such as energy supply, mobility, and agriculture. The German Environment Agency... read more

Waste | Resources

Resource use in Germany

Opencast mining with large machines

German raw material consumption totaled 1,328 million tons in 2019, or 16 tons per capita. This represents only a slight change in the trend up to 2018. In 2019, raw material consumption in Germany will fall slightly. And preliminary calculations for 2020 also indicate a decline. read more

Digitalisation

UBA application lab for AI and Big Data

on green background floats a brain-like cloud, on it many green icons about energy and traffic, like wind turbines and solar plants

The German Environment Agency is establishing an application lab for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data to make AI usable for environmental and sustainability applications. As a space for innovation and experimentation, the lab will focus on the added value of AI for humankind and the environment and identify research questions on the sustainable use and operation of AI applications. read more

Water

Germany’s HELCOM Chairmanship 2020 – 2022

Logo von HELCOM

On 1 July 2020, Germany took over the chairmanship of the Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea for two years. Selected pressures, the protection of species / habitats and climate change are among Germany's priority topics. The focus is on the revision of the Baltic Sea Action Plan, which will be adopted by a ministerial conference in October 2021. read more

Soil | Land

Curbing overdevelopment

Average per capita land use in Germany for residential purposes alone amounted to 47 square meters in 2011 – a figure that is likely to rise. At the same time, new construction on greenfield land is on the rise, while increasing numbers of apartment buildings, other structures, and lots stand empty. In our view, this overdevelopment should be curbed, and land should be used sparingly. read more

The Umweltbundesamt

For our environment