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One tonne of CO2 emissions causes damage worth 180 euros.

Germany narrowly missed the collection rate of 45 percent for waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) in 2016. Large household appliances in particular are not being collected in sufficient numbers.

The city and the countryside are closely interlinked, for example through daily flows of traffic and goods. In everyday practice, however, problems are common. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is now launching the “Stadt-Land-Plus” funding measure and already providing support for twelve collaborative projects between science and practice across Germany to implement new ideas.

German Environment Agency presents seven priority areas for action

The Federal Ministry for Environment has presented a plan for the gradual phase-out of the use of the broadband herbicide glyphosate. The Use of Pesticides Ordinance will be amended for this purpose. The German Environment Agency as competent body for the authorisation procedure seeks to make the authorisation of products which harm biodiversity contingent upon certain conditions of their use.

The Blue Angel – the German government’s ecolabel – is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Since 1978 it has been setting high environmental standards for products and services, independent of economic interests.

Treated urban wastewater is usually discharged to rivers. A UBA study assessed the contributions of wastewater effluents in surface waters in Germany and evaluated potential risks for drinking water abstraction.

Keeping materials in circulation and preventing them from becoming waste is only possible if the design of a product is adapted accordingly. The possibilities offered by ecodesign were the topic of the Circular Design Forum in Berlin. Here, the results of the project “EcoDesign Circle” were presented, in which the UBA plays the leading role. Documentation and additional materials are now online.

Designers can also contribute to solving the problem of marine litter – with the right choice of materials when designing products, for instance. This was the topic of a workshop that was initiated by the UBA in June 2018 with approximately 30 participants from the Baltic Sea Region. The results and specific recommendations for action have now been published.

German Environment Agency presents basic principles of a pedestrian traffic strategy

Since the Paris Agreement invites parties to provide their low carbon development strategies by 2020, the European Union is currently preparing its respective mid-century long-term climate strategy. Within a public consultation the German Environment Agency (UBA) provided recently its submission on key priorities relevant for the new EU strategy.

The reuse of treated waste water can help to reduce water shortages. Reused water can contain pathogens and harmful substances, however. On 28 May 2018, the EU Commission proposed a regulation, on minimum requirements concerning the reuse of water. It aims to protect health and the environment. The UBA considers there to be a need for improvement.