Newsletter "UBA aktuell" - No.: 5/2021 | Umweltbundesamt

Get started now for a climate-neutral Germany!

70 % less greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 are possible - and necessary - in Germany. Source: Eyematrix / Fotolia.com

The 2020s must set the course for Germany achieving climate neutrality. UBA has presented numerous proposals on how it is possible to achieve this, for example in 2019 with the RESCUE study. It shows: Germany is capable of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by around 70 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. We must, however, act immediately and substantially increase our efforts. A selection of the UBA's proposals:

Energy transition : In comparison to 2020, Germany needs to build four and a half times as many onshore wind turbines and install twice as many rooftop photovoltaic systems per year.

Transport transition : More walking, cycling, bus and rail transport and fewer and more climate-friendly cars are needed - for example by reducing environmentally harmful subsidies and providing more space and investment in climate-friendly mobility. 

Nutrition transition : The consumption of animal foods, such as meat or dairy products, needs to decrease. Policymakers could promote this, for example, by raising VAT on animal-based foods and lowering VAT on plant-based foods.

Climate-friendly industry : Energy and resources also need to be used more efficiently and the remaining energy demand covered by renewable electricity or, if not possible, via hydrogen produced with renewable electricity.

Heating transition and energy-efficient building refurbishment : The energy requirements of buildings need to be drastically reduced. This requires us to renovate about 2.5 percent of the building stock per year - currently we are only at 1 percent. The heating supply needs to be switched from oil and gas to climate-friendly heating networks or to heat pumps powered by green electricity.

Sustainable consumption and circular economy : Products need to last longer, be used for as long as possible and be recycled at the end of their life. 

International cooperation : A global effort is required to halt the climate crisis - especially in the G20 countries, including Germany. They alone cause 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Germany should therefore cooperate with other countries and set milestones, as it did in 2000 with the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).

Where to dispose of the e-waste?

Whether it is a washing machine, television, mobile phone or remote control - you can dispose of all old electrical appliances in an environmentally friendly way and hand them in free of charge at your recycling centre. Retailers also accept the return of old appliances free of charge. After all, recycling the raw materials that go into the appliances protects the environment and the climate. The "International E-Waste Day" on 14 October 2021 draws attention to the proper disposal methods. read more (in German)

Starting from 1 September 2021, new energy labels for lighting fixtures

The energy consumption labelling for lighting fixtures reverts to classifications A to G. The requirements for achieving the highest energy efficiency classes A and B are high and thus offer incentives for manufacturers to ensure their products are even more energy-efficient. A new product database is to provide better orientation before purchase. read more (in German)

Statement: WHO Air Quality Guidelines 2021

A joint statement by medical, scientific and public health societies and institutions on the new World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines 2021. read more (in German)

Digital maps for heating planning for municipalities, state and federal government

More than half of final energy consumption in Germany is used for heating and cooling buildings and for hot water in private homes and in industrial processes. An efficient remote heating supply leads to a reduction in energy consumption and the associated CO₂emissions. The maps developed on behalf of the UBA support municipalities and decision-makers in heating planning. read more (in German)

A contract to increase resource efficiency

Resource protection and efficiency are an ecological, economic and social necessity. A study commissioned by UBA analyses how international processes and treaties are able to contribute to the more efficient use of abiotic resources such as sand or wood. Proposals are being developed to prepare an international treaty on the efficient use of resources. read more (in German)

Germans would pay for an improvement in the condition of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

Algal blooms, water turbidity, overfishing, underwater noise or rubbish have a negative impact on the condition of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. This also reduces the value that people attach to these habitats. A study commissioned by UBA has determined that citizens would be prepared to pay an average of EUR 65 per person per year to achieve a good environmental status of the German seas. read more (in German)

Practical help: Relinquishment of residential areas for the purpose of climate adaptation

In the course of adaptation to climate and demographic change, it makes reasonable sense to specifically relinquish residential areas in shrinking municipalities, for example in flood zones. A new UBA brochure helps to find and implement the best concepts, strategies and measures. It is primarily aimed at municipal actors in urban development, for example from the administration, committees or councils. read more (in German)

The World Health Organisation's new air quality guidelines

Air pollutants pose a health risk worldwide and also have harmful effects on the climate, biodiversity and ecosystems. On 22.09.2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) presents its new globally valid air quality guidelines. The German Environment Agency (UBA) welcomes the publication of this constitutive paper on air quality assessment. read more (in German)

Climate change, eutrophication, waste and munitions: Endangered Baltic Sea

Germany still holds the chair of the Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (HELCOM) until mid-2022. Climate change, eutrophication, waste and munitions: The environment of the Baltic Sea is in poor condition. Find out what challenges there are in marine protection and how HELCOM protects the Baltic Sea in the video. read more (in German)

Pesticide use in nature reserves hardly regulated by law

The current legal framework in protected areas is no guarantee of sufficient protection against the use of pesticides. This is revealed in a recent assessment report commissioned by the German Environment Agency (UBA). The report examines the protected area ordinances of the federal states of Saxony and Lower Saxony as examples. read more (in German)

Federal government resolves to procure climate-friendly services

The federal government's objective is a climate-neutral federal administration by 2030. The Federal Government Cabinet has therefore adopted a General Administrative Regulation on the Procurement of Climate-Friendly Services (AVV Klima). read more (in German)

New programme of measures for sustainable administration

On 25 August 2021, the Federal Government Cabinet adopted the Programme of Measures for Sustainability - Further Development 2021 "Implementing sustainability in tangible administrative action". The Federal Government is committed to implementing the guiding principle of sustainable development even more strongly in its own administrative actions. read more (in German)

Renaturation of federal waterways to be a federal responsibility in future

The federal government is now also taking responsibility for the renaturation of federal waterways. The Federal Waterways Act has been amended as a result. It is an opportunity to plan water management, transport and tourism requirements for the first time from a single source. read more (in German)

Recycling of packaging: New minimum standard

Manufacturers of certain types of packaging are required to participate in a “dual system” of waste collection in Germany, to ensure that packaging is collected, sorted and recycled. Since 2019, fees for this are also to be assessed according to how well a package is recyclable. The minimum standard on how to determine suitability for recycling has now been adapted to new developments in the packaging sector. read more (in German)

The share of beverages filled in reusable bottles has been declining in Germany for years. The most recent data reveal an increase in the proportion of reusable beverages for the first time again in 2019. At 41.8 per cent, however, it falls well short of the regulatory target of 70 per cent.