Category: Germany

Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH and lobbying): Where do the 1.5 million euros in donations come from?

Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), a non-profit organisation for environmental protection, also known for environmental zones and diesel driving bans, is being criticised: it refuses to disclose 15 large donations with a total value of over one million euros. The media company Table.Media discovered this in the lobby register of the German Bundestag. But what does this mean for DUH's credibility? What is the actual aim of its work?

Diesel driving ban in Munich: Is the tightening coming after all?

In July last year, the people of Munich breathed a sigh of relief when Mayor Dieter Reiter announced that the EU limit value for nitrogen dioxide would only be exceeded in two places. A driving ban for Euro 5 diesel vehicles was therefore suspended for the time being from October 2023. But now the discussion about a diesel driving ban seems to have been reignited.

Hanover low emission zone to be cancelled! What does this mean for air quality and the traffic turnaround?

From 22 February 2024, it will be official: the low emission zone in Hanover will be abolished. After 16 years of strict regulations for vehicles within the 4,300-hectare environmental zone between Sahlkamp, Süd-, West- and Messeschnellweg, you will no longer need a green sticker on your windscreen to drive into the city centre.

A speed limit rarely comes alone - now 50 km/h on Berlin's roads again?

Transport Senator Manja Schreiner (CDU) recently proposed lifting the speed limit on many main roads in Berlin. This is a departure from the previous regulation, according to which a speed limit of 30 km/h applies on 34 main roads. The speed limit was introduced a few years ago to improve air quality and is now to be largely lifted now that this goal has been achieved.

Technology battle against CO2 and climate change

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. With record temperatures and CO2 emissions in 2023, the 1.5-degree climate target seems to be receding ever further into the distance. In this situation, carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) is increasingly coming into focus. This is a technology for capturing and storing CO2 underground, which was a rather theoretical option for a long time, but is now becoming increasingly important due to the pressure to act to save the climate.

Poor air quality in eastern Germany: effects on environmental zones and air quality

A few days ago, the Federal Environment Agency warned of 'very poor' air quality in many places in eastern Germany, caused by a combination of an easterly flow and a stable high-pressure weather situation. This inversion weather situation led to an increased accumulation of air pollutants and significantly impaired air quality. Should we introduce more low emission zones after all?

Emissions from the construction industry: first steps towards the zero emissions target

Construction sites and the construction industry itself are major emitters of CO2, particulate matter and other substances that contribute to air pollution in environmental zones and urban centres in general. However, the industry has already taken important steps towards zero emissions and climate neutrality: construction vehicles are becoming increasingly electric!