Press | Umweltbundesamt

European agencies including the German Environment Agency (UBA) have submitted a joint proposal for the restriction of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). This proposal is one of the most comprehensive to have been formulated since the REACH regulation first came into force in 2007. read more

Germany’s revenues from auctions under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) totalled more than 6.8 billion euros in 2022, marking a significant increase over 2021 (5.3 billion euros). In contrast, revenues under the national emissions trading scheme (nETS) for the heating and transport sector fell below the previous year’s level (6.4 billion euros in 2022 vs 7.2 billion euros in 2021). read more

The 14 winners of the German Ecodesign Award once again display a wide range of forward-looking solutions to tackling the most diverse challenges. These solutions include intelligent lighting systems, a seasonal calendar for green electricity, precast foundations for wind turbines, a deposit chair as well as concepts for transforming the clothing industry and data-based rewetting of peatland. read more

Whether coffee-to-go cups or cigarette butts, too much single-use plastic is landing on our streets and in parks. Cities and municipalities in particular incur costs of up to 434 million euros per year for collection and cleaning, says a study by the German Environment Agency (UBA). New EU regulation states that the manufacturers of single-use products will have to bear these costs. read more

A coalition of policymakers, business and associations is running “Action weeks for organic waste bins in Germany” to advocate for improvements in the collection of organic waste. For four weeks from 7 November 2022, the spotlight will be on local authorities in Germany as they run campaigns on the ground to promote the separate collection of organic waste. read more

Ecosystems such as forests, heaths and surface waters are more sensitive to atmospheric nitrogen pollution than previously thought, according to a report under the Geneva Air Convention of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (CCE). read more

Too much waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is still being disposed of improperly in Germany. A German Environment Agency (UBA) analysis found that some 86,000 tonnes per year land in the general waste bin instead of being recycled as prescribed. Germany’s recycling rate unfortunately still falls short of meeting the EU minimum recovery rate requirement of 65 percent. read more

Currently, only slightly less than ten percent of rivers, lakes and coastal waters are in good ecological condition. Although this is a slight improvement over 2015, Germany still faces major challenges. According to the EU Water Framework Directive, water bodies should be "good" in terms of chemistry, ecology and – in the case of groundwater – also in terms of available quantity by 2027. read more