Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

The ministry's primary functions include: • Fundamental national environmental policy • Informing and educating the public about environmental issues • Environmental remediation and development in Eastern Germany • Climate protection and energy • Air quality control • Noise abatement • Conservation of groundwater, rivers, lakes and seas • Soil conservation and remediation of contaminated sites • Waste management and recycling policy • Chemicals safety, environment and health • Precautions against emergencies in industrial plants • Protection, maintenance and sustainable utilization of biodiversity • Safety of nuclear facilities • Nuclear supply and disposal • Radiological protection ==Organization==

The ministry is led by the Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The current Minister is Steffi Lemke, appointed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The minister is supported by two parliamentary state secretaries (members of the cabinet and federal government, "deputy ministers") and two career state secretaries (public servants) who manage the ministry's nine directorates: • "Z" directorate (Abteilung Z) is the central office responsible for internal affairs • "G" directorate (Abteilung G) is the central office responsible for policy and collaboration • "KI" directorate (Abteilung KI): climate and international cooperation • "S" directorate (Abteilung S): radiation protection, nuclear safety, nuclear supply and radioactive waste • "WR" directorate (Abteilung WR): water management, waste management, soil conservation and contamination • "IG" directorate (Abteilung IG): air pollution, health impacts, environment and traffic, hazardous locations and materials • "N" directorate (Abteilung N): conservation and species richness, genetic engineering, environmental impacts of agriculture and forestry ==Federal Environment Ministers==