Within one generation global raw materials' demand has doubled - from approx. 35 billion tonnes in 1980 to approx. 70 billion tonnes in 2010. "It must be our goal to use raw materials responsibly and to thus break the resource consumption spiral," outlined Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier on the occasion of the 12th Meeting of the International Resource Panel (IRP) in Berlin. more

Peter Altmaier called for a close regional cooperation at a meeting with the heads of state and government of Baltic Sea countries. The objective of the conference was to strengthen public-private partnerships in order to stir investments for environmental protection measures. more

Altmaier met his Polish counterpart Marcin Korolec at the 16th German-Polish Environment Council. Key topics discussed included climate policy, sustainable energy supply and the environmentally sound development of the border regions. more

According to the first preliminary calculations and estimations of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), greenhouse gas emissions in Germany rose by 1.6 percent in 2012. Nevertheless; Germany clearly exceeded its reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol. more

On 25 January 2013, Katherina Reiche, Parliamentary State Secretary and Chinese Vice-Environment Minister Zhou Jian opened the fourth Sino-German Environmental Forum in Berlin. The forum, hosted jointly by the Federal Environment Ministry and the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business, focuses on sustainable management (Green Economy). more

On 17 January, at a conference held at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) and attended by over 350 national and international experts, the results of the support program “E-Energy – Smart Energy made in Germany“ were presented.  more

The Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, Ursula Heinen-Esser, opens the 5th German-Japanese Environment Forum on 15 January 2013. The main topics at the conference centres around intelligent solutions for a sustainable energy supply ranging from electric vehicles to "smart homes". more

A call for tenders for the Federal Ecodesign Award, initiated by the Federal Environment Ministry BMU and the Federal Environmental Agency UBA, has been published for the second time on 14 January 2013. more

Greenhouse gas emissions are dropping further despite the decommissioning of eight nuclear power plants in 2011. When compared with emissions from 2010, emissions in 2011 fell by 2.9 percent, mainly due to weather conditions. The greatest reductions were recorded in combustion plants for the generation of space heating and as a result private household emissions fell. more