ifeu - Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg Ltd.

The independent ifeu-institute was founded by natural scientists of the University Heidelberg in 1978. It is organized as a private limited company; partners are six economists who are working at the institute. The ifeu employs about 25 scientists and engineers from several branches as well as numerous graduate students, trainees, and assistants. Besides environmental management and ecobalances the ifeu?s topics focus on traffic and environment, environmental compatibility testing, energy management of communities, and waste management.

In the field of environmental management systems the ifeu has conducted important pilot projects, e.g. on extending the EMAS regulation to new branches. Together with two other institutes the practicing of inter-company environmental management systems in Germany has been valuated and a list of recommendations for the reform of the EC-Regulations has been compiled for the German Federal Environmental Protection Agency (UBA). The ifeu participated in compiling several manuals for the introduction of environmental management systems. In the field of drawing up ecobalances for products the ifeu can look back on even longer practical experience: The so-called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been a main topic at the ifeu-institute since 1987. Colleagues are engaged in the development of methodology and in (ISO). Costumers for ecobalances and material flow analysis also include several enterprises, international industrial unions, as well as public facilities and authorities.

Of great significance are extensive federally supported research projects comprising essential ecobalances. Among those are the UBA-ecobalance of packaging systems, and its continuity especially of the packaging of beverages, the ecobalance of graphical papers, or the life cycle analysis "car". Several balances for regenerative resources and agriculture have been drawn up. Furthermore the ifeu provides comprehensive system comparisons of production and disposal processes.

Wilckensstrasse 3
D- 69120 Heidelberg
Germany

phone +49 / 6221 / 4767- 0
fax +49 / 6221 / 4767- 19

Internet: www.ifeu.org
E-Mail: ifeu [at] ifeu [dot] de