Economy | Consumption

The German Environment Agency (UBA) is appealing to the grocery trade to include deposit bottle alternatives in their beverage range in addition to non-returnables.

The nominees for the Federal Ecodesign Award 2016 have been selected. A total of 26 projects, services and concepts have won over the interdisciplinary jury for their design and benefits for the environment.

People with higher incomes usually consume more energy and resources – regardless of whether they perceive themselves to be environmentally aware or not. These are the findings of a new study by UBA.

Some 2.2 million people were employed in the environmental protection sector in Germany in 2012, say updated figures from the German Environment Agency (UBA), which is an increase of 245,000 jobs (12.5%) compared to 2010. Great increases in employment have notably occurred in the services sector associated with environmental protection.

Environmental protection continues to be a significant economic factor in Germany's economy, says the latest report by UBA on the environmental industry.

Whether it is washing machines, smartphones or TV sets: the service life of most electrical appliances is becoming shorter and shorter, says a new report commissioned by UBA.

This year's Blue Angel Prize goes to the telecommunications service provider Telekom Deutschland GmbH. During the ceremonies for the German Sustainability Award, Mr. Ralph Caspers, environmental ambassador for the Blue Angel, conferred the award on 27 November in Düsseldorf.

A new OECD report discusses examples from countries like Germany, Japan and New Zealand of how transport policy can be better adapted to climate change. The report also examines the major challenges in assessing the economic damage caused by greenhouse gases.

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."

Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks and the President of the Federal Environment Agency, Maria Krautzberger, honoured this year's winners of the German Federal Ecodesign Award. The prize is awarded to products, services and concepts that are outstanding in terms of ecology and aesthetics.

The prize will be awarded this year to businesses which have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to protecting the environment and climate.