Topics

On World Environment Day, the German Environment Ministry (BMUV), together with the German Environment Agency (UBA), the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), provided comprehensive information on the health risks and protective measures related to the climate crisis at the Environment Week event.

For almost eight out of ten young people in Germany, protecting the environment and the climate is an important issue. This was the result of the representative study “Future? Ask young people! 2023”, which was conducted on behalf of the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV). This is less than in the last survey two years ago.

To protect the unique Antarctic flora and fauna, Germany is committed to a coherent and representative network of protected areas in the Antarctic. Thanks to a German-American initiative it has now been possible to expand this network. Seven islands at the north-eastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, the so-called “Danger Islands”, were declared a protected area.

Germany is blessed with many different types of soil. In the interest of shedding greater light on the world beneath our feet, each December 5th, on World Soil Day, the Soil of the Year is presented. A panel of experts selects the soil in question. In announcing the Soil of the Year, the panel indicatesamong other things its characteristics, origin and significance for today’s society.

The Global Stocktake assesses the collective progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement every five years. The first Global Stocktake has revealed major gaps on the way to achieving international climate action goals but also pointed at a clear path ahead. On behalf of UBA, researchers analysed the contributions of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.

The federal “Blue Compass” award is the highest state honour for projects that demonstrate exemplary preparedness and adaptation strategies to the consequences of the climate crisis. More than 300 applications were received for the current round of the competition – another record number of entries.

The European Commission wants to combat widespread greenwashing in advertising and promote reliable environmental information with a new directive on competition and consumer laws. The goal is to protect consumers from often misleading adverts boasting the environmental benefits of products with labels such as ‘eco’, ‘sustainable’, ‘climate neutral’ or ‘recyclable’.

On May 14, 2024 at the IFAT trade fair in Munich, Bettina Hoffmann, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, honoured several local authorities for their commitment to better organic waste collection.

The German Environment Agency's (UBA) Environmental Monitor 2024 once again presents a mixed picture of the state of the environment in Germany. While there have been successes in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants, many indicators show a clear need for action.

Heat pumps will play a key role in the future, greenhouse gas-neutral heating of buildings. Last year, every fourth new heating system in Germany was already a heat pump. Nevertheless, there are still many misconceptions and a lack of information about their potential use.

The AskREACH project aims 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. The European Chemicals Regulation REACH provides the legal framework.

Together with the Federal Office for Chemicals and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, the German Environment Agency (UBA) has been carrying out a REACH substance evaluation on the registered nanoforms of zinc oxide since 2017. The assessment of the data on the environmental behaviour and effects of the registered zinc oxide nanoforms is now concluded.