Archive press releases

A new study shows that increased demand for biomass for energy in Europe, through intensified use of existing forests, could lead to loss of biodiversity and high competition for wood between sectors, and proposes policies to help preserve…

When the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) meets in Nairobi on Monday, its agenda will include one of the new and major health and environmental hazards facing many African countries today: the recovery of lead from waste batteries. When…

NGOs, consumer groups and research organisations have expressed disappointment with the European Commission's continuing failure to propose adequate measures for the collection and publication of information about nanomaterials on the EU market…

As the ratification process for the Paris Agreement begins, a new study shows how the EU’s new policy on land and forests is essential to curb climate change given the Commission’s reluctance to increase climate targets. As the ratification process…

In today’s Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), ECOS, and the Oeko-Institut emphasize the importance of adopting and implementing preventive measures to protect people and the…

The use of renewable energies in Europe is continuing to expand: in 2015 EU member states were able to fulfil approx. a third of their electricity consumption using renewable energies such as wind, hydro and solar power. The use of renewable…

When end-of-life refrigeration appliances are treated, some of the waste appliances being sent for recycling contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), while others are CFC-free. When end-of-life refrigeration appliances are treated, some of the waste…

The “Strategic Dialogue on Sustainable Raw Materials for Europe” (STRADE), a 3-year research project (through 2018) to develop scientifically validated recommendations for a long-term European strategy on raw materials, successfully held its project…

Today, the Hamburg 2024 Bid Company and the city of Hamburg introduce you to the sustainability concept for the application to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Today, the Hamburg 2024 Bid Company and the…

In order to produce, further process and use raw materials responsibly in the future, comprehensive and material-specific sustainability targets are needed. These targets must take into account environmental and social challenges in equal…

In many African countries lead acid car batteries are being recycled without any kind of protective measures. As a result, the workers and local residents are often exposed to high lead levels, which can cause serious health problems and in some…

In India and Egypt as well as in the USA waste management can contribute significantly more to climate protection than at present. The climate protection potentials of waste management in these three countries – as well as other OECD und EU member…

Impetus for societal transformations to sustainability such as the energy transition, the development of an alternative transport system and sustainable food often comes from the centre of society. So that these developments enjoy wide success,…

Two days before the European Union closes its consultation on the role that land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) should play in EU climate effort, new research reveals that including this sector in emissions reductions plans would cause…

More washing machines, laundry dryers and refrigerators faulty within 5 years – consumers replace functioning flatscreens sooner Today’s consumers are using new products for shorter timescales than in the past, according to the initial findings of…

To reach the targets for energy savings and climate protection in buildings more ambitious measures are needed in EU member states. In all EU countries improvements are necessary for the modernization of buildings, when using renewable energy…

Together with 17 European project partners Oeko-Institut has developed guidelines for small, medium-sized and large enterprises in the creation and implementation of sustainability strategies. The handbook’s main recommendation is that from the…

Energy transition, rising consumption, new infrastructures: the demand for raw materials such as building and industrial materials as well as ore and metals is not only high in Germany, it is also increasing globally as a result of the growth of…

Feasible recycling concepts must be developed in the years ahead for the recycling of rare earths used in permanent magnets in modern and highly efficient electric motors. The motors used in industry are not being collected and disposed of at the…

Users of free-floating car-sharing see electric vehicles as just as flexible and practical as conventional vehicles. In addition, electric vehicles are regarded as more environmentally-friendly and thus more attractive than conventional passenger…