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Climate | Energy

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.

Climate | Energy, Economy | Consumption

German diet is a strain on the climate

Eine Vielzahl von abgepacktem und rohem Fleisch

Meat and non-seasonal produce with long hauling distances in particular continue to be a strain on the environment and the climate, according to data in the Umwelt, Haushalte und Konsum brochure by the German Environment Agency (UBA). UBA's President Maria Krautzberger said, "We will only be able to achieve our climate protection goals if we reconsider our consumer habits in earnest."

Climate | Energy

Efficient space and water heaters

a cat is sleeping on a radiator

New EU regulations make heating units and water heaters more sustainable and provide guidelines for new purchases. The regulations specify a gradual establishment of limit values for energy efficiency and emissions and introduce energy labelling requirements.

Climate | Energy

Who is doing what in the Energiewende?

eine Frau und ein Mann mit blauen Bau-Schutzhelmen stehen mit einem Tablet und Papierunterlagen in der Hand auf einer Wiese und zeigen auf eine Windkraftanlage

Germany's Energiewende is a complex, large-scale project. The tasks and measures by which to achieve it are manifold and diverse, as reflected by the many active players in Germany. The publication "Who is who of the Energiewende in Germany – Contact Partners in Politics, Industry and Society", published by the Foreign Office in German and English, provides an overview.

Waste | Resources, Climate | Energy, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Rebound effects

Efficiency increase oftentimes reduces product or service costs, which can in turn ramp up consumption (due to reduced prices), thus partly canceling out the original savings. This is known as the rebound effect.

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