Examples Area of transformation: Pollutant-free environment

Germany is actively committed to tackling the pollution crisis at national and international level. The German Government is therefore engaging for a comprehensive transition to safe and sustainable materials and cycles that reduce environmental impacts while also generating social and economic benefits.

What Germany has done in the period covered by this report:

Germany sees the pollution crisis as a major crisis alongside climate change and biodiversity loss and is responding with resolute action.
Germany is committed to a risk-based approach in chemicals policy at national and international level. Germany participates proactively in the framing of international policy under a number of binding environmental agreements and is committed to implementing non-binding frameworks in the environmental, chemicals and waste sectors.
Germany is working on closing pollution cycles, establishing sustainable material flows and introducing ambitious global environmental standards.

Cooperation in action

Clean air: the National Clean Air Programme 2023Internal link

In Germany, outdoor air pollution has decreased substantially in recent decades. However, nitrogen dioxide concentrations in some densely populated areas still exceed the current EU limit values. The ozone concentration is also higher than the health-related target value almost everywhere.
Funding programme to tackle marine litter: the Marine Debris Framework – Regional hubs around the globeInternal link

Oceans are the planet’s largest ecosystems, providing a habitat and basis of existence for a multitude of species. They act as global CO₂ sinks and as such play an important role in combating global warming.
A global climate initiative in the nitric acid sector: the Nitric Acid Climate Action GroupInternal link

Nitrous oxide (dinitrogen monoxide – N2O), also known as laughing gas, is a highly potent greenhouse gas that is 273 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide (CO2). One of the major industrial sources of N₂O emissions is the production of nitric acid, which is mainly used in fertiliser manufacturing and the mining industry.
Promoting sustainable development and environmental standards at the international level – the Export Initiative Environmental ProtectionInternal link

Since 2016, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) has used its Export Initiative Environmental Protection funding programme to help German GreenTech companies promote their “green” innovations, products and services worldwide.

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As at: 17.06.2025