Germany is on the road to a green economy, using less resources, land and energy than just 10 years ago to obtain the same yield. At the same time, the importance of environmental protection as an economic factor is growing. As shown by the environmental economy report, major opportunities for employment exist in particular in the fields of climate protection, increasing resource efficiency, and export of environmental and efficiency technologies.
Germany’s drinking water is excellent quality. Daily tests done at all large-scale water utilities in 2008-2010 affirm this result. Water complies with strict legal guidelines for nearly every microbiological and chemical quality requirement, and it can be enjoyed without concern. However, when household pipes are made of unsuitable materials or if taps are unclean, water should be run until cool before it is drunk.
“Germany has shown that Kyoto targets can be met. I trust that we can continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions successfully as we pursue efforts to increase energy efficiency and promote renewable energies“, said Jochen Flasbarth, President of the UBA. The new National Inventory Report states that an average of 295 million tonnes less carbon dioxide per year have been emitted to the atmosphere since 1990. That is a cut of almost 25 percent over the 1990 index year.
UBA is in a position to become even more environmentally friendly and continues to optimize operations, even after 10 years of environmental management. In the future, business travel will increasingly be replaced by video conferencing, the CO2 emissions of its official cars will be reduced by ten percent. More staff will opt for green modes of transport such as bus, rail, bicycle or foot. Nesting and brooding place for birds, beehives and rare domestic sheep species are already doing their bit for the environment.
Can an office chair or a coffee pot save energy and resources? Indeed they can – provided they are developed according to ecodesign principles. These principles are about a product’s materials, whether it can be readily repaired and recycled, and how it can be used. Businesses and (amateur) designers can enter their products and ideas in the Bundespreis Ecodesign contest up until 30 April 2012. The BMU and UBA are tendering the contest for the first time.
