Newsletter-Archive | Umweltbundesamt

Dear Readers,In the summer of 2022, frightening pictures were circulating in the German media showing masses of dead fish in the River Oder on the German-Polish border. The bad news is that this is precisely what can happen again in the Oder and in other stretches of water. You can read in this newsletter what can be done about it. Other topics include how Germany can still achieve its climate tar... read more

Dear readers,We have to get away from fossil fuels, including for heating. However, in this newsletter issue you will discover why a massive expansion of the use of wood in domestic wood burning stoves or pellet heating systems is not a good idea. Other topics include health risks from traffic noise, corruption prevention and the new levy for manufacturers of disposable plastic products such as pl... read more

Dear readers,Online shopping is not always bad for the environment – it may even be more climate-friendly than driving a car to a shop. But what and how we shop online will have a significant impact on the CO₂ balance. This report presents our latest study results for more climate-friendly e-commerce and what specific actions retailers, logistics companies, politicians and consumers can take. It a... read more

Dear readers,They consume resources unnecessarily and produce a lot of waste that harms the environment and is a nuisance in streets and parks: yes, we’re talking about single-use packaging from “coffee to go” and other take-away food and drink products. This edition of our newsletter focuses on two measures that are intended to stem the tide of waste. Other topics include manipulative practices i... read more

Dear readers,German consumption of raw materials is far over the global average and puts a strain on both the climate and the environment. More on this in our new “Resources Report for Germany 2022“ and in this newsletter issue.Other topics include the impacts of the Corona pandemic on buses & railways as well as the financial involvement of manufacturers of disposable plastic products in wast... read more

Dear readers,What large supermarket chains offer in their assortment, what they advertise and how they refrigerate their goods is important with regard to environmental and climate protection. But how sustainable are the operations of the eight food retail companies with the highest turnover in Germany? Read more in this newsletter issue.Wishing you an interesting read,The Press Office of the Germ... read more

Dear readers,Climate change is making itself increasingly felt in Germany. This newsletter focuses on what we can all do – whether in politics, the economy or in our private lives – to combat the increasing incidence of extreme weather.Good news for climate protection: in the first half of 2022, renewable energy sources generated about 14 percent more electricity in Germany than in the first six m... read more

Dear readers,Recently the European directive on the common system of VAT was amended. It states “Member States should be given the possibility to contribute to a climate-neutral and green economy by means of applying reduced rates on environmentally friendly supplies while, at the same time, preparing the phasing out of the existing preferential treatment of environmentally harmful supplies.” Befo... read more