Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Economy | Consumption

Environmentally harmful subsidies in Germany

For the German public, environmental protection is the most important problem in Germany after the labour market. People attach great importance to the quality of environmental assets - such as climate, water, soil or air. This is reflected by public and private expenditure on protection of the environment: in 2003 the state and industry spent a combined total of €34.1 billion on water conservatio...read more

Water

Water Protection in Cooperation with Agriculture

Germany's farmers are vital suppliers of numerous raw materials for the food and animal feeds sector, and hence a significant branch of industry. At the same time, the agricultural sector is the largest land user and, unlike other industries, most production takes place in an "open system". This poses a risk to the environment, since only part of the substances used, especially fertilisers and pes...read more

Climate | Energy, Waste | Resources, Water

Recycling stops greenhouse gases

The contribution of the recycling and water management industry to climate protection

A great deal has changed for the German waste management industry in recent decades. Purely waste disposal firms have become highly specialised suppliers and experts for efficient recycling and energy generation. In 1990, the German municipal waste management sector still burdened the climate with nearly 38m tonnes of climate-damaging gas.read more

Waste | Resources, Soil | Land

Current state and future prospects of remedial soil protection

The legal basis for soil protection in the Federal Republic of Germany is: - The Act on Protection against Harmful Changes to Soil and on Rehabilitation of Contaminated Sites (Federal Soil Protection Act) (Bundes-Bodenschutzgesetz - BBodSchG) of 1998. The Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance (BBodSchV) of 1999.   read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

The building's architecture

A convincing design idea implements ecological requirements

Flyer for the offices of the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau. Visitors who wish to be fully informed about the architectural and environmental design of the new building and head to the atrium can join one of the guided tours.read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

The Federal Environment Agency in Dessau

An example of ecological and accessible building

With its characteristic shape and the colour scheme of its facade, the UBA’s new main building blends in well with its surroundings. A four-storey ‘snake’ of offices and functional rooms wraps around a public forum and the atrium, which is reserved for Agency staff. Both spaces are covered by a glass shed roof, into which textile solar protection and – over the atrium – a photovoltaic system has b...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

The geothermal heat exchanger at the building of the Federal Environmental Agency in Dessau

The geothermal heat exchanger consists of three fields in the western and one larger field in the southern part of the site. They form a subterranean system of pipes with a total length of almost 5 km, through which air flows. Outside air enters the system via three intake structures on the western side of the building. After passage through the heat exchanger pipes, the air is fed to four air-han...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

What Matters 2010

Annual Report of the Federal Environment Agency

Engines have become more efficient over the past ten years, but this increase in efficiency has been offset to a large extent by greater comfort and higher performance. German automakers will have to adjust their policy. - Future mobility – today‘s best investment - Environmental protection – a barrier to investment for agriculture? - Emissions trading – the engine of climate policyread more