Press | Umweltbundesamt

Whether it is annoying street noise or hazardous particulate matter – constant exposure to it in our cities can lead to health problems. But there is another solution: traffic-calmed pedestrian zones and roads that welcome cyclists and pedestrians; green urban areas as a retreat for people suffering stress and blooming urban gardens instead of concrete jungles. These images are exactly what the Fe... read more

With increasing frequency, citizens are demanding to be involved in important decision-making processes. They want to contribute their own perspectives and arguments, instead of simply reading or hearing of decisions that have already been made. So people are being involved more closely than before in planning and decision-making processes, for example in the case of noise issues, the expansion an... read more

The idea sounds promising: To increase the speed of surfing on the Internet in rural areas, the European Union (EU) wants to have broadband cables laid through existing energy and water infrastructure, for example water pipes. This proposal might reduce digging and costs. However, it involves unacceptable risks as far as water pipes are concerned, points out the Drinking Water Commission (DWC) at... read more

The establishment of a "Resources Commission at the Federal Environment Agency" (KRU) is aimed at the support of resource conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. Members of the Commission elected Prof. Dr. Christa Liedtke of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy as Chairwoman of the KRU. "The conservation of natural resources is a pressing task. Their consu... read more

What has soil got to do with my favourite pizza? Where did the soil come from that we stand on today, on which we build our homes, which collects rainwater and supplies us our food? Is every type of soil able to do this? How much soil do we need to live? The answers to these and many other questions can be answered by clicking here: www.bodenwelten.de. Jochen Flasbarth, President of the Federal En... read more

With a few exceptions, sales of “green” products are on the steady rise says a new study for the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) about the market development of environmentally relevant products. Sales of environmentally friendly white goods in particular are becoming more and more significant. About one half of all freezer units on the market are high energy efficiency. Energy-efficient washing... read more

The REACH Candidate List now has 144 Substances of Very High Concern. Acting on an initiative by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) Germany proposed the inclusion of seven chemicals as Substances of Very High Concern. One of them is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is often found in all-weather clothing and has long been considered harmful to the environment. Says Jochen Flasbarth, President... read more

There are more possibilities for onshore wind energy in Germany than has been previously assumed. According to assumptions made in a new study by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and using state-of-the-art turbines, up to 13.8 per cent of the land surface in Germany could be used for wind energy generation - without causing significant harm to sensitive protected areas or compromising noise pr... read more