User:Milton Beychok/Sandbox: Difference between revisions

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{{Image|UBA Organization.png|center|600px|Organization chart of the UBA.<ref name=Umwelt/><ref>[http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-e/uba-organisation-druckversion.pdf Umweltbundesamt for our environment, Organizational Chart] As of November 26, 2010]</ref>}}
{{Image|UBA Organization.png|center|600px|Organization chart of the UBA.<ref name=Umwelt/><ref>[http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-e/uba-organisation-druckversion.pdf Umweltbundesamt for our environment, Organizational Chart] As of November 26, 2010]</ref>}}


==Major task areas==
==Major tasks and issues==


The detailed task areas for which the UBA is responsible can be categorized by the four operational Divisions shown in the above organization chart.
The major tasks and issues for which the UBA is responsible may be summarized as:
 
'''''Division I:''''' Environmental planning and sustainability strategies
 
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=27%}}
*Sustainable strategies and scenarios
*International environmental protection
*Environmental law
*Economic and social environmental issues
*Environmental reporting
{{col-break|width=22%}}
*Environment and spatial planning
*Climate protection
*Energy strategies and scenarios
*Renewable energies
*Energy efficiency
{{col-break|width=21%}}
*Energy supply and energy data
*Emissions situation
*Environment and transport
*Transport noise abatement
*Transport pollution abatement
{{col-break|width=20%}}
*Transport energy saving
*Industrial noise abatement
*Protection of the Antarctic
{{col-end}}
 
'''''Division II:''''' Environmental health and ecosystems protection
 
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=27%}}
*Environment and health aspects
*Health-related toxicology monitoring
*Health-related indoor hygiene
*Microbiological risks
*Environmental medicine
*Exposure assessments
*Water quality and management
{{col-break|width=22%}}
*Discharges to surface waters
*Marine environment protection
*Inland surface waters
*Water analysis laboratory
*Soil quality and protection
*Soil monitoring
*Soil use and agriculture
{{col-break|width=21%}}
*Drinking water hygiene
*Swimming pool hygiene
*Drinking water treatment
*Water distribution
*Water microbiology
*Water toxicology
{{col-break|width=20%}}
*Air quality control
*Air quality assessment
*Air pollution effects
*Air quality standards
*Air quality monitoring
{{col-end}}
 
'''''Division III:''''' Sustainable production and waste management
 
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=30%}}
*Product-related environmental protection
*Sustainable consumption
*Product responsibility
*Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act
*Eco-design and environmental labeling
*Substance-related product issues
{{col-break|width=24%}}
*Municipal waste management
*Hazardous wastes
*Focal point to  Basel Convention
*Cross-sectoral aspects
*Resource conservation
*Minerals and metal industry
{{col-break|width 46%}}
*Chemical industry
*Energy production
*Plant safety
*Waste technology
*Waste water management
*Waste monitoring methods
{{col-end}}
 
'''''Division IV:''''' Chemical and biological safety


{{col-begin}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=30%}}
{{col-break|width=40%}}
*International chemicals management
* Agriculture and foodstuffs industry
*Biocides
* Air and air pollution control
*Plant protection products
* Chemicals policy and pollutants
*Health pests and their control
* Climate change
*Chemical safety information systems
* Energy
{{col-break|width=70%}}
* Environmental awareness and sustainable consumption
*Pharmaceuticals
* Environmental data
*Washing and cleansing chemicals
* Environmental economics and management
*Chemicals
* Environmental laws and associational claims
*Ecotoxicological laboratory
* Environmental monitoring
*Artificial ponds and streams
* Environmental and spatial planning
{{col-break|width=60%}}
* German Emissions Trading Authority
* Health and environmental hygiene
* International and Antarctic environmental protection
* Noise
* Products
* Resource conservation
* Soil and contaminated sites
* Technology processes and safety
* Transport
* Waste management
* Water, drinking water and water protection
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}



Revision as of 18:54, 11 December 2010

The Federal Environment Agency of Germany was founded in 1974 and is the central federal authority for environmental matters in Germany. The agency is commonly referred to as the UBA, an acronym for its German language name of Umweltbundesamt.

The UBA is part of Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and is responsible for protecting the environment as well as human health and well-being from adverse environmental impacts. Its key mandates are:[1]

  • To provide scientific support to the: Federal Ministries of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety; Health; Education and Research; and Transport, Building and Urban Affairs.
  • Implementation of environmental laws such as emissions trading, authorization (approval) of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and pesticides.
  • To provide public information about environmental protection issues.

Organization and staffing

The UBA is headquartered in the city of Dessau and also has offices in the cities of Berlin, Langen, and Bad Elster as well as monitoring stations at seven other locations nationwide. As of 2009, the agency had a total staff of about 1,400 working at 13 locations and an annual budget of about €100,000,000. About 800 of the total staff work in the Dessau headquarters.[2][3]

The UBA's organization chart is summarized below. The agency is governed by the Office of the President consisting of a President and a Vice-President, assisted by a Council of Environmental Advisors, an Internal Audit and Corruption Prevention Unit, a Press Officer and other functional entities.

As shown in the chart below, there are four operational groups (Division I, II, III and IV), an administrative management and services group (Division Z) and a special group for air pollution emissions trading (Division E). Most of the functions depicted in the chart are located in the headquarters site in Dessau, but some are in Berlin and the other locations (Langen and Bad Elster).

(PD) Drawing: Milton Beychok
Organization chart of the UBA.[3][4]

Major tasks and issues

The major tasks and issues for which the UBA is responsible may be summarized as:

  • Agriculture and foodstuffs industry
  • Air and air pollution control
  • Chemicals policy and pollutants
  • Climate change
  • Energy
  • Environmental awareness and sustainable consumption
  • Environmental data
  • Environmental economics and management
  • Environmental laws and associational claims
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Environmental and spatial planning

  • German Emissions Trading Authority
  • Health and environmental hygiene
  • International and Antarctic environmental protection
  • Noise
  • Products
  • Resource conservation
  • Soil and contaminated sites
  • Technology processes and safety
  • Transport
  • Waste management
  • Water, drinking water and water protection

Air quality and air pollution control

References