Press | Umweltbundesamt

In many countries it is customary to be served a carafe of tap water for free. Asking for the same at a restaurant here in Germany is often answered with a waiter’s disdain, even though the tap water in Germany is an international winner. “Drinking water in Germany is generally of high quality. It is monitored thoroughly and regularly, is inexpensive and probably the only food that does not need t... read more

The energy turnaround in Germany is in full swing. Emissions of greenhouse gases are set to be reduced by 40 percent over 1990 levels by the year 2020. These are the provisions of the Integrated Energy and Climate Programme (IEKP) of August 2007 which was extended in the federal government energy plan of September 2010. However, according to a new study by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) ther... read more

The nuclear accident at Fukushima, Japan, and its unforeseen impact on mankind and the environment have put into focus the urgency of making major changes in how the economy is run and in our lifestyles. The way to the future is a life that is low-carbon, energy-efficient, and which makes conservative use of resources - at the national, regional and international level. “The signals sent by ambiti... read more

Although emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) rose slightly in 2010, Germany’s overall volume of 960 million tonnes continues to undercut the Kyoto target value. A total volume of 40 million tonnes GHG, or 4.3 percent over the previous year’s, were emitted according to preliminary calculations by the Federal Environment Agency. The sharp rise in CO2 emissions owes largely to the economic recovery a... read more

The Federal Ministry for Environment is expanding its free service for teachers, with new educational materials on the topic of global warming and health now available on the Internet.  They are part of an expanding and updated collection of education materials on environment and health (Umwelt und Gesundheit). These materials, which were compiled jointly the Federal Ministry for Environment and t... read more

The volume of 454 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the some 1,630 concerns in the energy and industrial sectors involved in emissions trading in Germany in 2010 represents about six percent more climate-damaging CO2 emissions over the previous year in a weaker economy. As total emissions are under 2008 levels emissions, reduction efforts will proceed in the second trading period. read more

Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) published a study yesterday on plasticisers (phthalates) found in the dust in child day care centres.  These results are confirmed by Federal Environment Agency measurements which also determined higher plasticiser concentrations in dwellings. Plasticisers are thought to be the cause of malformation of the genitals and fertility dysfunction. Their main source is... read more

The 2011 water body type of the year, which experts refer to as “Small coarse substrate-dominated siliceous highland river (type 5), is most worthy of our attention, as its more than 18,000-km of waterways are the most common water body type in Germany. It winds its way throughout the German Central Uplands at altitudes ranging from 250-1,000 metres- through the Harz, Thuringian Forest, Bavarian F... read more