Man-made climate change is a global challenge. The core task is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offset unavoidable emissions. Timely, sustainable infrastructure investments are key to climate action success. The focus is on reducing energy demand and a complete switch of the electricity and heat supply to renewable energies, taking into account interplay with other environmental challenges. The German Environment Agency supports this process with strategies, scenarios, measures and instruments as well as monitoring activities. It also implements individual instruments, such as emissions trading, guarantees of origin for green electricity or the Blue Angel ecolabel.
Germany is in full compliance with European emission reduction targets. Final data on greenhouse gas emissions for 2021 show that Germany had emissions of 759.1 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2021, which is about 29.6 million tonnes (4%) more than in 2020 and 39% less compared to 1990.
Germany’s revenues from auctions under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) totalled more than 6.8 billion euros in 2022, marking a significant increase over 2021 (5.3 billion euros). In contrast, revenues under the national emissions trading scheme (nETS) for the heating and transport sector fell below the previous year’s level (6.4 billion euros in 2022 vs 7.2 billion euros in 2021).
In its two-day session early this week, the jury reviewed and evaluated 137 submissions in the project rooms of feldfünf e.V. in Berlin. After deliberations, the environmental and design experts nominated 28 projects for the German Ecodesign Award 2022. The ultimate winners of the award will be announced by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke at the award ceremony on 5 December.
A flood alliance, “Tiny Forests” as a place for teaching about climate change adaptation and others – the winners of the national Blauer Kompass Award 2022 have been announced. The €25,000 in prize money is awarded to outstanding climate change adaptation projects in the areas of flood protection, agriculture, skilled crafts and trade, environmental education and rural development.
Wind turbine rotor blades are made of fibre composites and have been disposed of in very different ways up to now. The German Environment Agency (UBA) now presents a comprehensive overview of the sustainable use and waste processing of rotor blades.
Municipalities are affected differently by climate change due to various factors. The German Environment Agency (UBA) therefore recommends the implementation of municipal climate risk assessments along three essential steps: preparation, implementation and communication of the results. To support this, a handout provides information on the methodological procedure in addition to ISO 14091.
Climate change is resulting in an increasing number of hot summer days in Germany. Tropical nights – when the temperature doesn't fall below 20 °C – are increasing. This is a particular burden for vulnerable groups in densely populated inner cities. A recent study by the UBA has systematically investigated how cooler temperatures can be realised in inner-city neighbourhoods and their buildings.
Germany's roughly 1,730 fixed installations included in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) emitted around 355 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-eq). This represents an 11% increase compared to 2020, meaning that the 2019 pre-pandemic level was only undercut by about 8 million tonnes of (CO₂-eq).
The German Environment Agency (UBA) has proposed aligning VAT more closely with ecological and social criteria. The core of the "Climate and Environment Relief Package" is to exempt plant-based staple foods such as fruit, vegetables, grain products and vegetable oils and public passenger transport from VAT altogether.
The competition for the federal "Blauer Kompass" award for exemplary climate change adaptation projects has set a new record number of participants this year. Of the 240 entries received by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and German Environment Agency (UBA), 20 outstanding projects have now been nominated for the award.
Temporary play streets, street sponsors, a cargo cycle festival or a “walking machine parade” are among the diverse actions promoting more sustainable mobility which cities, municipalities and nonmunicipal actors such as businesses, associations and schools registered in the competition. Fürstenfeldbruck, Karlsruhe, Kassel and Leipzig are winners of national prize for European Mobility Week.
Switching to climate-friendly refrigeration and air conditioning holds tremendous greenhouse gas emissions savings potential, but the switch to natural refrigerants poses a great challenge for many businesses. The new initiative “Climate-friendly Cooling and Air-Conditioning with Natural Refrigerants” brings together relevant players in industry.
