Federal German Laws and Regulations

The law to conserve energy in buildings aims to ensure that only as much energy is consumed in buildings as is required to achieve the specific purpose – such as having sufficiently warm rooms.

The regulations are targeted especially at saving energy by means of thermal insulation, plant and system technology and the operation of plants. Furthermore, it contains stipulations on the allocation of heating costs and special regulations and requirements for already existing buildings, as well as monitoring measures and provisions for administrative fines. At the same time the German Energy Conservation Act is the statutory basis for enacting special ordinances, such as the German Energy Conservation Regulation (EnEV).

The law to support renewable energies in the heat sector  became effective in January 2009. It stipulates that owners of new buildings have to cover part of their heating and cold product requirements from renewable energies.

The owners are free to decide which kind of renewable energies are to be used. The important aspect is that a certain percentage of the heating or cold products is generated with the respective energy. The percentage applicable depends on the kind of energy. Anyone who prefers not to use renewable energies can choose various so-called substitute measures. When drafting the law, it was ensured that it is possible for each owner of a building to find an individual cost effective solution tailored to their requirements. Thus, the most varied combinations of renewable and other energy sources are permitted.

The German Federal Nature Conservation Act, which has been in force since March 2010, brings legal harmonisation across Germany to its nature conservation legislation, structures the nature conservation legislation in a clearer and better arranged way overall, and simplifies its practical application.

With the nature protection and countryside conservation law, the basis for comprehensive protection of nature and the countryside was already laid down in 1976. Nature conservation has a long tradition in Germany, one which can be traced back for instance to protected areas in the 19th century.

The German Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Act represents the enactment into national law of the EU Directive on the European trading system with greenhouse gas emission rights. It forms the legal basis in Germany for trading in emissions certificates.

The law is currently only applicable to the carbon dioxide (CO₂) greenhouse gas. The German Emissions Trading Agency (DEHSt), which is located in the German Federal Environmental Office (UBA), is primarily responsible for implementing emissions trading in Germany. The federal state authorities support the Emissions Trading Agency in fulfilling its remit and provide support to the plant operators when preparing monitoring plans and drafting the required reports.

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the ordinance on the avoidance and reutilisation of packaging waste has contributed to the introduction of closed cycle systems, as well as to the avoidance, recycling and reutilisation of waste – and thus to the conservation of resources as well. In this way it makes an essential contribution to climate protection.

The regulation envisages that in principle all packaging which reaches private end consumers is to be licensed in so-called dual systems. At the same time the intention is to increase the transparency when disposing of sales packaging and to set improved underlying conditions for competition between the providers of household waste collection systems.

The ordinance on the quality of water for human consumption sets strict quality standards for drinking water.

The purpose of the regulation is to protect human health from harmful impacts which could result from contaminated water intended for human consumption by guaranteeing its consumability and purity.