Archive press releases

Imports of nuclear power to Germany did not increase after the shutdown of eight nuclear power plants in March 2011. This is the conclusion of a report by Öko-Institut which was commissioned by Greenpeace and is published today. The report refutes…

Nanomaterials are already applied to numerous products today in order to equip them with additional properties. This trend is surely on the rise. The Öko-Institut recommends adjusting the registration and testing requirements established by the…

The facility for refining Australian ore concentrate rich in rare earth metals of Lynas Corporation in Malaysia has several deficiencies concerning the operational environmental impacts. The environment is affected by acidic substances as well as…

Oeko-Institut and the sustainability platform Utopia are today launching the campaign “Save 1,000 Euros of electricity!” under the slogan “Energy transformation – we’re getting started”. The initiative is informing citizens about high saving…

Oeko-Institut, ISOE and car2go launch study on car sharing Car sharing is trendy, it’s seen as being flexible and sustainable – especially when the cars are powered by electricity. But when it comes to car sharing, how eco- and user-friendly are…

Is it worth replacing an old notebook which still functions with a new, more energy-efficient model? Do energy savings in the use of a new notebook outweigh the environmental impacts of its production? No is the answer provided by Oeko-Institut and…

Whether measured as energy demand or greenhouse gas emissions, the manufacture of smartphones causes the largest environmental impacts – 60 per cent – along their life cycle. If one smartphone is used for a long period of time, the harmful effects…

The problems associated with the recycling of e-waste in Africa, for both people and the environment, are well-known. Less well known, though, are the benefits that sustainable recycling can bring. Oeko-Institut’s new project aims to investigate…

European legislation such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive requires member states to develop ambitious policies in the building sector. The design of effective policy supporting nearly Zero-Energy…

Cooled rooms on hot summer days are a luxury that many no longer want to do without. But where does the energy needed for space cooling come from? All too rarely it comes from renewable sources since the necessary political framework for renewable…

As the share of electricity production from renewable energies increases, the pressure is rising to integrate these energies in the market rather than conduct their production outside the competitive electricity market. The new German Renewable…

West Africa faces a rising tide of e-waste generated by domestic consumption of new and used electrical and electronic equipment, according to a new United Nations report. Domestic consumption makes up the majority (up to 85 per cent) of waste…

A study conducted within the scope of the Future Fleet project has found that battery electric vehicles could make up a fifth of SAP Germany’s company cars by 2030. If plug-In hybrid vehicles, which are powered by both an electric and a…

The environmental performance of vehicles is becoming increasingly significant in the commercial procurement of service or fleet vehicles. This is one finding of Oeko-Institut’s survey of more than 30 fleet operators, which focused on the…

Up to six million electric vehicles could be on Germany’s roads in 2030. If these vehicles use additional electricity produced from renewable sources, they are emission-free and can make a contribution to climate protection. Oeko-Institut came to…

The rapid growth of new technologies in the energy and transport sectors will drive up demand for special resources. The need for rare earths, in particular, is likely to rise disproportionately by 2030. It is therefore vital to develop alternative…

Between 67,000 and 108,000 workers are involved in the extraction of cobalt in mostly unregistered mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They frequently work under dangerous conditions; fatal accidents are the order of the day. Each year…

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 publishes environmental audit The English edition of the environmental audit of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 (published in German in November 2011) is available for download from today. The Legacy Report documents the…

The weekly magazine VerkehrsRundschau and the Oeko-Institut (Institute for Applied Ecology) today published a comprehensive methodology for calculating carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for logistics purposes. This methodology,…

<p>Bioenergy and water are inextricably linked. For the first time, a report of UNEP, IEA Bioenergy Task 43 and Oeko-Institut examines in depth these interlinkages, highlights the risks and opportunities, and offers an outlook on ways to…