Newsletter "UBA aktuell" - No.: 3/2024 | Umweltbundesamt

State of the environment: progress in air & climate, major deficits in water & road noise

River landscape Source: Eugeny Moskvitin / Fotolia.com

What is the situation regarding environmental protection and environmentally related health protection in Germany? The German Environment Agency`’s Environmental Monitor 2024 once again gives a mixed assessment.

Air quality, for example, is currently looking good; the averaged index of the five most important air pollutants fell by over a third between 2005 and 2022. Greenhouse gas emissions have also recently seen their sharpest decline since 1990 and the expansion of renewable energies is continuing. Nevertheless, there is still a need for action in both areas in order to achieve the targets for the coming years.

There are particularly clear deficits in the area of water; here, all three indicators are showing red. For example, the limit value for nitrate in groundwater has been exceeded at around one in six measuring points every year since 2008, mainly due to high nutrient inputs from agriculture. A look at plastic waste in the North Sea is also sobering; large quantities of waste continue to end up in the oceans, where plastics only degrade very slowly. And the health of the population is still being adversely affected, for example by traffic noise.

You can find all the data and its evaluation in the new “Environmental Monitor 2024” brochure. Are you interested in the history of environmental protection over the last five decades? Then visit our anniversary page.

Opportunities for local authorities – adding cooling planning to heating planning

In the coming years, local authorities in Germany will have to submit plans for their district heating networks. At the same time, the transformation of the public heating supply from its predominantly fossil basis to renewable energies, e.g. through the use of heat pumps, is underway. The German Environment Agency (UBA) is advising local authorities to incorporate sensible cooling planning alongside their heating planning. read more (in German)

Climate protection terms explained

When talking about climate protection, many terms are often confused. Products are labelled “climate neutral” or “greenhouse gas neutral”. “CCS” is equated with “negative emissions”. But what do these terms actually mean and how can they be categorised in terms of effective climate protection? Our explanatory film and this article should help you to keep track. read more (in German)

Podcast on environmental influences on health

How healthy is our population? Dr Dietrich Plaß and Chiara Santjer explore this and similar questions in three episodes of the new UBA podcast. They talk about environmental influences and how they affect our health, and about epidemiological concepts such as the burden of disease. Take a breath and listen in now. read more (in German)

UMID 01/24: pollutants from rusting world war munitions in the sea

The journal UMID (in German with English-language abstracts) provides information on current environmental and health issues. Cover story of the current issue: leaking substances from rusting world war munitions. Other topics: new test method for formaldehyde emissions from wood-based materials, pesticides in the air, Germany’s contribution to PARC, health impacts of particulate matter, use of a chatbot in a radiological emergency. read more (in German)

AMELAG wastewater monitoring for epidemiological situation assessment

In the project “Wastewater monitoring for epidemiological situation assessment”, the German Environment Agency and the Robert Koch Institute are surveying the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens in wastewater. The interdisciplinary team directly implements the One Health concept; research data from the fields of environment and public health are processed, collated and made publicly available as soon as possible. read more (in German)

Climate protection in transport: prompt trend reversal necessary

The German Environment Agency has analysed how climate protection measures in the transport sector can help to achieve the targets set out in the Federal Climate Protection Act (KSG). Two scenarios show that the transport sector will exceed its emissions budget by 2030, even with ambitious measures. In the long term, however, these measures can significantly reduce emissions and exceed the reduction targets. read more (in German)

Rethinking mobility – technical brochure published

Sufficiency is derived from the Latin ‘sufficere’ meaning to suffice or be sufficient and, like efficiency and consistency, is one of the general sustainability strategies. In order to achieve the climate and environmental protection targets in the transport sector and for more liveable public spaces, sufficiency is indispensable. The specialist brochure “Mobilität neu denken“ (”Rethinking mobility”) presents key research findings. read more (in German)

Guide to greenhouse gas calculation in the transport sector

The transport of passengers and freight generates greenhouse gases (GHG) – not only through the actual transport activities, but also as a result of the processes at the individual locations or through services. On behalf of the UBA, a guideline has been produced which provides information for the standardised calculation and reporting of GHG emissions along transport chains. read more (in German)

New EU rules against greenwashing adopted

Until now, advertising claims about the environmental benefits of products, such as “eco”, “sustainable”, “climate-neutral” or “recyclable”, as well as environmental labelling, have barely been regulated. With a new directive amending competition and consumer law, the EU wants to combat widespread greenwashing in advertising and promote reliable environmental information. read more (in German)

New communication materials for sustainable consumption available

Climate protection needs good climate communication. With new free information materials (in German), the Competence Centre for Sustainable Consumption (KNK) wants to help get people interested in sustainable consumption and motivate them to take action. read more (in German)

97 % energy savings in ammonium metatungstate production

H.C. Starck Tungsten GmbH in Goslar produces high-performance powders of the metal tungsten and its compounds from recycled materials and ores, for example for machine and tool construction. With the help of the environmental innovation programme, a new high-pressure reverse osmosis process is now being used, which saves over 97 percent energy in the production of ammonium metatungstate. read more (in German)

EU: packaging becomes more environmentally friendly

The draft EU packaging regulation is to contain new rules on packaging design and packaging disposal. In the view of the German Environment Agency, the agreement reached after extensive negotiations is another important step towards more environmentally friendly packaging. read more (in German)

Preliminary air quality data for 2023 published

The brochure on the preliminary evaluation of air quality in 2023 has been published. It contains an evaluation of the previous year’s data from all air monitoring stations in Germany. read more (in German)

Air pollutants: Germany fulfils international requirements

Emissions of air pollutants in Germany are continuing to fall. The constant decline is also due to the Federal Immission Control Act, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. read more (in German)

KBU recommendations for nationwide soil biological monitoring

In March 2024, the Soil Protection Commission at the UBA (KBU) published the position paper “Bodenbiodiversität unverzichtbar für den Klimaschutz und die Bereitstellung natürlicher Ressourcen” (“Soil biodiversity indispensable for climate protection and the provision of natural resources”). The paper recommends concrete steps for the implementation of a nationwide soil biological monitoring. read more (in German)

Soil indicators symposium

On 17/18 April 2024, the German Environment Agency organised a symposium on soil indicators in the context of climate adaptation and soil protection in Dessau. Here you can find the results and presentations. read more (in German)

Project funding for associations: apply now for 2025

Until 31 July, environmental protection and nature conservation organisations can apply for project funding for 2025. read more (in German)

UBA publishes mobile game on sustainability

Making everyday life more sustainable and inspiring friends and family – a new mobile game from the German Environment Agency shows how this can be achieved. In the game ‘Little Impacts’, players experience how the main character Leah infects those around her with her enthusiasm for sustainability. The free and ad-free game is now available for Android and iOS. read more (in German)

Dr Erik Schmolz takes over as Head of UBA Division IV

Dr Erik Schmolz is the new Head of Division IV “Chemical Safety” at the German Environment Agency. He has been in charge of the department since December 2023 and succeeds Dr Jutta Klasen, who has retired. read more (in German)

Topping-out ceremony for the new wooden building of the Schauinsland monitoring station

The UBA’s air monitoring station on the Schauinsland mountain near Freiburg (Baden-Württemberg) is to be given a new wooden building. The building will house laboratories and measuring rooms as well as offices and functional rooms. The measuring field will be newly installed in the outdoor area. The station is used to observe and monitor the air within the framework of national and international clean air agreements read more (in German)

250 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents were saved in 2023 through the use of renewable energies.