The Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Germany

Acronym: UBA-D

Country: Germany

Role in CIRCLE-2: Contributing Partner

Webpage 1: http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/topics/climate-energy/climate-protection-energy-policy-in-germany

Webpage 2: http://www.anpassung.net

Description

The Umweltbundesamt (UBA), established in 1974, is a public scientific body acting under the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety. UBA fulfils autonomously administrative tasks in the field of the environment and of the health-related concerns of environmental protection. It has, in particular, the following tasks:

• Scientific support for the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in all matters concerning emission control, soil conservation, waste and water management, the health-related concerns of environmental protection, particularly in the elaboration of legal and administrative regulations, research and development of the foundations for appropriate measures, and in the review and study of processes and facilities.
• Establishment and management of an information system for environmental planning and of a central environmental documentation, measurement of large-scale airborne pollution, information of the public on environmental issues, provision of central services and assistance for departmental research and for the co-ordination of environmental research funded by the Federation, support in assessing the environmental compatibility of measures taken by the Federation.

In order to fulfil its functions, the Federal Environment Agency conducts scientific research in the fields specified above and manages the Environmental Research Plan on behalf of the Ministry for Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety, which will be set up every year.

Current topics of environmental research plan are:

• climate protection, adaptation and (renewable) energy; energy efficiency
• protection and sustainable use of natural resources;
• environmental protection, innovation and employment;
• environment code;
• sustainable mobility;
• environment and health and chemical safety (REACH).

The Competence Centre on Climate Impacts and Adaptation (KomPass) summarizes the results of climate impact research and makes them readily accessible to public. Furthermore, KomPass collects information on possible adaptation options, evaluates them with respect to their risks and opportunities and makes the results available to relevant actors. KomPass gives technical and conceptual advice to the Federal Environment Ministry in the work on the German adaptation strategy and acts as a central office for coordination and implementation of the strategy.

KomPass services to stakeholders: (i) Providing climate impact research in Germany; (ii) Evaluation of information on regional climate change and climate impacts at the national level; (iii) Catalogue on adaptation projects and activities: http://www.anpassung.net/; (iv) Development of easy-to-use tools that point out to users regionally differentiated climate change and impacts; (v) Development of an indicator system to review the effectiveness and success of adaptation action.

Key Personnel

	Petra Mahrenholz petra.mahrenholz(at)uba.de
	Inke Schauser Inke.Schauser(at)uba.de
	Clemens Hasse clemens.hasse(at)uba.de