Economy | Consumption | Umweltbundesamt

The prizes of the 2017 contest go to repair services, mobile applications to initiatives to fight food waste, energy-saving design products, concepts for resource-efficient and recyclable fashion and a vision for the opportunities which living plant construction provides. read more

Capital investments which target the energy, transport and building sectors can help to limit the rise in Earth’s temperatures to less than 2 degrees. A new UBA study proposes the criteria by which public financial institutions like development banks should proceed and identifies which projects should no longer be funded. read more

On 11 September a panel jury of environmental and design experts made the nominations for this year's Bundespreis Ecodesign (German Ecodesign Award). Twenty submissions in the areas of architecture, energy, nutrition, home living, interior design, mobility and fashion can now hope to receive an award at an awards ceremony to be held 27 November. read more

A new guide by the Federal Environment Ministry and the German Environment Agency offers companies advice on how to integrate sustainability into their supply chains. read more

Toy manufacturers can now apply for the new Blue Angel ecolabel for toys to be awarded to their cuddly toys, wooden train sets, rubber balls etc. Not only must the products be exemplary in terms of pollutant content but also as concerns the social labour conditions of the extraction of raw materials and at the final assembly sites. read more

German Environment Agency calls for improving the durability of products read more

International conference discusses concept of planetary boundaries read more

The service life of most electrical appliances and equipment is becoming ever shorter – at the expense of the environment. The production of new models requires the consumption of valuable precious metals and energy which are not compensated by innovations such as lower energy use. UBA has drafted policy recommendations that will be fed into the European debate about the Circular Economy Package. read more