Climate | Energy

Germany's greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) fell slightly by 1.9% in 2022. GHG emissions were around 746 million tonnes – some 15 million tonnes less than 2021. Overall, emissions in Germany have fallen by 40.4% since 1990. While this means that Germany is generally on track to meet the targets of the Federal Climate Change Act, emissions in the energy sector increased significantly.

Rewetting peatlands can do a great deal to protect the climate. Drained peatlands in Germany emit some 53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents every year, which is about 7.5 percent of all its GHG emissions.

The air indoors, whether at schools or offices, is often stuffy. Air conditioning systems can provide relief, but they do not always operate as they should. The quality seal for air conditioning systems can help based on its three-phase verification to ensure good indoor air quality and energy-efficiency during planning, installation and operation.

100 major copper, iron ore and bauxite (“aluminium ore”) mine sites worldwide have been assessed for their environmental hazard potentials. Results have been published in an interactive map with a number of filter functions. In particular, companies can use the map to analyse environmental risks along supply chains and to support their environmental due diligence.

The shortage of housing is a problem in many large cities and metropolitan areas. The building sector has for years failed to meet its environmental and climate targets. A position paper by the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Commission for Sustainable Building (KNBau) at UBA investigates how affordable housing can be built without harm to the environment and human health.

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.

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).