What on Earth is R744? Many of the 5,000 delegates who travelled to Germany for the Bonn Climate Change Talks in June 2009 asked themselves this question. The experts from 182 countries were preparing for the international Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009 where a treaty succeeding the Kyoto Protocol is to be adopted. Although they could therefore be considered rather knowledgeable on the subject of environmental protection, very few of them had any idea about the cryptic acronym that appeared in large letters on the side of a VW minibus used by the motor pool. It was the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) that finally revealed the secret: R744 is an eco-friendly carbon dioxide-based refrigerant for car air conditioning systems. The substance is nontoxic, noninflammable and cheap. The silver Volkswagen that the agency had provided for the conference was acting as a test bed for the new air conditioning system. As a result, the eco-specialists from Dessau successfully made R744 known to environmental experts around the world and significantly increased the chance that the substance will soon replace existing, climate-damaging coolants.
It is details like this that are important in the work of the Federal Environment Agency. “We investigate, describe and assess the state of the environment in order to determine adverse impacts for humanity and the environment comprehensively and as early as possible,” says the agency’s mission statement. That also includes stopping the use of poisonous substances in millions of cars. Its over 1,400 employees – mostly economists, chemists, biologists and lawyers – want to create an early warning system for potential ecological problems in accordance with the Federal Environment Agency’s guiding principle: “For humanity and nature”.
Founded in 1974, the Federal Environment Agency is the largest environmental authority in Germany. Together with the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), it shapes the scientific foundation of the Federal Government’s environmental policy. Agency specialists at eleven sites nationwide conduct research in laboratories or measure the air quality in special stations – even on the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. They test the impacts of individual chemicals on ecosystems, check whether washing or cleaning products really only contain permitted substances and analyze the quality of German drinking water. However, the agency also awards research contracts to scientific establishments and institutes in Germany and abroad. All of these activities aim to provide policymakers with proposals for solving environmental problems. The Federal Environment Agency is also a point of contact for citizens seeking information on environmental and health protection issues – not only on the Internet, but also at the headquarters in Dessau.
Its sensational new building there was completed in 2005. A four-storey “ribbon” with offices and bureaus encompasses a “forum” for visitors and an “atrium” reserved for staff. The design by the Berlin-based architects’ office Sauerbruch Hutton is an extraordinary and open ensemble in the midst of a new park landscape – and a prime example of ecological architecture. In January 2009 the Federal Environment Agency headquarters received the German Quality Seal for Sustainable Building in Gold. Solar collectors on the roof supply the air conditioning system with electricity and one of the world’s largest heat exchangers guarantees pleasant air temperatures in the building even on cold winter days. Renewable energies supply roughly 15% of the agency’s energy needs.
Jochen Flasbarth, a renowned German environmentalist, has been president of the agency since September 2009. He was director of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) and departmental head at the Federal Environment Ministry before coming to Dessau. The 47-year-old is also not afraid of expressing controversial opinions. Barely in office, Flasbarth demanded an increase in ecotax. In his view, electric cars are a good thing, but it would be better to increase the use of buses and trains. The agency’s president is pursuing a clear goal: “A carbon-free Germany by 2050. We will show policymakers how that can be achieved.” R744 is only a small step on that path.
