transformation

Waste | Resources

Resource use in Germany

Opencast mining with large machines

In 2019, German consumption of raw materials totalled 1,328 million tonnes, or 16 tonnes per capita. This represents only a slight change in the trend up to 2018. In 2019, raw material consumption in Germany will fall slightly. German raw material consumption will also fall slightly in 2020 and 2021. read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Series: Extended Producer Responsibility in international law

World map from green leaves

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has been increasingly discussed as a concept to solve the current waste problems for specific products. Thomas Lindhqvist first described it in 1990 as “an environmental protection strategy to reach an environmental objective of a decreased total environmental impact of a product, by making the manufacturer of the product responsible for the entire life-cycle... read more

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

News on Chemicals

Advanced materials: steadily sustainable and safe

Coloured area changing from pink to blue. Hexagonal shapes appear on different levels of the image and which reminiscent of chemical structural formulae. The shapes are shown either only in outline or filled in area.

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. read more

Digitalisation

Digital Sustainability

Globe from above at night with illuminated areas with connections drawn between them

Digital technologies can be harnessed to make an important contribution to the global sustainability transformation. Individually and in sum, the technologies harbour potential to bring about important ecological, societal and economic change. Gearing digitalisation towards sustainability requires creating the necessary conditions to achieve this aim. read more

News on Waste | Resources

Resource Commission at UBA in the third appointment period

Excavators at work in an open pit

At its first meeting on May 25, 2021, the newly formed Resources Commission at the German Environment Agency (UBA) was constituted for the appointment period 2021 to 2024. The Resource Commission consists of 18 experts from science, industry, administration, and civil society, who were personally appointed by the President of UBA. read more

The Umweltbundesamt

For our environment