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The AskREACH project aimed at raising awareness on Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) in articles among the European population, retailers and industry. AskREACH developed the smartphone app Scan4Chem which can be used to readily receive information on SVHCs in consumer articles or send information requests to suppliers. At the end of 2026, the AskREACH system & app, will be taken ofline.

A new guide from the German Environment Agency provides a well-founded and practical description of how companies can establish a climate management system to reduce their climate impacts and climate risks in a systematic, transparent and credible manner.

Earthworms are an important indicator of soil fertility. They aerate the soil, promote root growth, improve water absorption, produce humus and contribute to soil fertility: the new standard test method examines the impact of chemicals on individual species and the earthworm community in field trials.

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.

The study ‘Strengthening soil protection and the remediation of contaminated sites through a revision of soil protection legislation’ examines the shortcomings of the existing regulations and discusses possible solutions. It also presents a legislative proposal for the revision of the Federal Soil Protection Act, accompanied by explanatory notes.

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. 

In 2025, Germany's 1,794 stationary industrial and energy installations emitted around 264 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents under the European Emissions Trading Scheme 1 (EU ETS 1). This is around 3.2 per cent less than in the previous year. In 2024, the decline in emissions from stationary installations was still 5.5 per cent. Emissions from aviation fell by 2.2 per cent in 2025.

The next step towards implementing the requirements for environmental risk assessment of nanomaterials: The new standard test method investigates the solubility and dissolution rate of nanomaterials under relevant environmental conditions. It therefore represents an important new building block for an appropriate environmental risk assessment within the framework of chemical safety regulations.

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 the German Environment Agency (UBA) shows that many PFAS active ingredients used in medicines can be replaced by alternative active ingredients.

The German Environment Agency (UBA) has published its scientific opinion on the EU's climate policy ambition — outlining what it will take to achieve the EU climate targets and make Europe's path to climate neutrality credible, coherent, and fair.

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