Topics

We don't want to live at the expense of other people and jeopardise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Therefore the state government has made sustainability a central plank of its policies. A policy of sustainability must create synergies between economic and social development and maintaining an intact environment.

Improving resource efficiency is becoming more and more important and only those who utilize the diminishing natural resources as economically and efficiently as possible can remain competitive in the medium-term.

The Climate Protection Act sets binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas-es. To achieve this goal, the state government has developed an integrated energy and climate protection plan with specific strategies and measures.

Many water management issues an only be solved through joint and cross-border initiatives. The central vision of managing European waters on the basis of the river basin was firmly anchored by the EU in the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Further directives, such as the Flood Risk Management Directive (FRMD), follow this idea.

The Ministry of the Environment Sector is Baden-Württemberg’s statutory nuclear inspectorate. Its task is to monitor whether nuclear installations are being run safely. The Ministry also monitors radioactivity in the environment. On the sensitive issue of nuclear safety, the energy policy stresses information and openness.

20 years ago, the economic area of Europe was characterised by a range of different national specifications in respect of technical products. It was a classic barrier to trade that has long since been consigned to history. Today, free movement of goods is the order of the day in Europe – posing a huge challenge for market surveillance.

The bioeconomy offers great opportunities for us humans and our society. With its help, our economic system should become more resource-saving and climate-friendly. Plants, animals, bacteria or waste should reduce the use of fossil fuels and thus reduce CO₂ emissions. For example, plastic can be produced thanks to microorganisms. Raw materials such as metals can be recovered from waste or wastewater.

Nature conservation and our commitment towards the different kinds of flora and fauna form the core of our central mission of our society. We want to preserve what secures our natural necessities and we have therefore placed nature protection at the centre of our policies.

Waste is far too valuable to just throw away. Products must be reused and waste avoided or recycled. Waste can only be successfully managed if harmful substances are safely removed by thermal treatment or disposed of in landfill.

The Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Energy Sector of Baden-Württemberg supports companies which introduce environmentally friendly products and production techniques. It offers pilot projects, a rich supply of information material and grant programmes.

Noise is one of the biggest and most underestimated stresses for humans. Subjective factors play an important role here. The person causing a noise generally perceives it as less disturbing than those exposed to it. A majority of people living in Baden-Württemberg feel disturbed by noise in their surroundings.

The EU Industrial Emissions Directive prevents and reduces harmful emissions from industrial processes. In Germany, the Accident Prevention Ordinance ensures the technical safety of industrial operations involving large quantities of hazardous substances.