Insights 05.06.2025
Environment Day 2025: “Protecting the value of our water”
Marc Pion

Water and energy are two sides of the same coin – both are elementary foundations of life and key levers for sustainable transformation. Today's Environment Day 2025 with the motto “Protecting the value of our water” clearly shows how closely the goals of environmental protection are linked to the actions of innovative technology companies.
PAUL's mission is to make buildings climate-positive – with smart control, cross-sector efficiency and no unnecessary waste of resources. This is precisely where the connection lies: Saving energy also indirectly protects water – whether through less fossil heating or more efficient cycles in building technology.
Protecting our water resources is becoming increasingly relevant
The motto of World Environment Day on June 5, 2025 is “Protecting the value of our water”. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) is thus focusing on one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the sustainable use of water as a resource. In times of increasing droughts, local water scarcity and increased environmental pollution, the protection of our water resources is becoming increasingly relevant – ecologically, economically and socially.
Water is systemically relevant and a critical resource
Water is not only the basis of all life, but is also systemically relevant for energy supply, agriculture, industry and public health. Current research clearly shows that climate change and human overuse are putting aquifers under pressure, surface waters are losing quality and biodiversity, and hydrological extremes such as droughts and heavy rainfall are increasing in intensity and frequency (IPCC 2023).
The principle of all things is water, because water is everything and everything returns to water.
Thales of Miletus, 624 - 546
Challenge: water quality and availability
In Germany, the situation is ambivalent: although over 90% of drinking water is considered to be of high quality, surveys conducted under the EU Water Framework Directive show that only 8% of surface waters achieve “good ecological status”. The main causes are inputs from agriculture (especially nitrate and pesticides), municipal sewage treatment plants, sealing and land consumption. At the same time, groundwater levels are continuously falling in some regions, for example in eastern Germany – with consequences for the ecosystem, agriculture and drinking water supply.
Climate change exacerbates the water problem
Modeling by the German Weather Service (DWD) predicts an increase in dry years and heat waves in the coming decades. This will not only lead to agricultural yield losses, but also to conflicts of use between industry, the population and nature conservation. In urban areas, cooling and drainage management are also reaching their limits. In its National Water Strategy, the German government therefore refers to the need for robust, decentralized and climate-sensitive water management systems.
Value begins with data, planning and innovation
“Protecting the value of our water” means above all: understanding, evaluating and acting. The establishment of comprehensive monitoring systems, the protection of water conservation areas and the integration of water aspects into urban and infrastructure planning are key fields of action. Technological innovations – such as digitalized water consumption, recycling systems in industry or water-saving agricultural technology – offer effective tools for reducing the water footprint. Companies, municipalities and citizens alike are called upon to anchor resource responsibility as a strategic guiding principle.
Water policy must become a cross-sectoral task
Politically, Environment Day 2025 sends a clear signal: water belongs at the heart of cross-sectoral strategies – from the energy transition to biodiversity protection and social justice. Socially weak regions and vulnerable population groups are often the first to be affected by water crises. Access to clean water must therefore be understood and secured as part of a just transformation.
Water as a resource cannot be taken for granted
Environment Day 2025 is more than just a symbolic reminder. It is a reminder that water as a resource cannot be taken for granted – not even in a water-rich country like Germany. Protecting our water in the long term requires a combination of political will, scientific evidence and technological intelligence. Because only those who value water can preserve its true value.