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.
In a new position paper, the German Environment Agency (UBA) advises testing carbon capture and storage (CCS) in waste management.
The new OECD Handbook on Environmental Due Diligence in Mineral Supply Chains is a milestone for environmental protection in global value chains. For the first time, a clear description is given of how companies can identify, assess and prioritise environmental issues at the beginning of their global supply chains and take measures to prevent, mitigate or find solutions to arising problems.
With today's start of "Climate Adaptation Week", the Federal Environment Ministry and the German Environment Agency are launching a three-week online consultation on climate adaptation issues.
Sustainable mobility saves energy – and in many different ways. As part of the European Mobility Week (EMW), which takes place from 16 to 22 September, municipalities together with local actors are demonstrating that being sustainably mobile can also save energy.
Chemicals are a major driver for global warming, biodiversity loss and pollution. Bold political action is urgently needed. The Fifth World Chemicals Conference (ICCM5) 25-29 September 2023 in Bonn/Germany is bound to set up a stronger policy framework for the sound management of chemicals at global level.
In a study for the German Environment Agency, a research team from Öko-Institut and Ecologic Institute has examined the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) for global climate action and international climate policy. The results show that their potential to mitigate emissions is probably overestimated in the literature. Nevertheless, NbS can bring various benefits and should be promoted actively.
The German government's 2023 Projection Report, coordinated by the German Environment Agency (UBA), analyses current climate protection policy. The report shows that the achievement of the national climate targets by 2030 and 2045 is at risk without additional measures.
The European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) will be aligned with the European climate protection target of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990. In May and June 2023, the legal acts entered into force. Now the European Commission, in agreement with the member states, must draw up a variety of rules to implement the reform.
Germany can still achieve its climate targets by 2030. This is the conclusion of a new study by the German Environment Agency (UBA). To do so, Germany would need, among other things, more rail traffic, a reform of the motor vehicle tax and restrictions on fossil-fuel heating. In addition, all emissions would have to be priced and charged to the polluter.
A new study for the German Environment Agency (UBA) foresees enormous tasks for the water supply along the Spree River if significantly less groundwater is pumped into the river with the end of brown coal mining in the Lausitz region. According to the study, in dry summer months this can lead to up to 75 per cent less water in the Spree locally.
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.
