The International Working Group on Data Protection in Technology, also known as the "Berlin Group", organized with the leadership of the German Data Protection Authority, has published a Working Paper on the processing and protection of personal data in the context of Smart Cities. The Working Paper states that the comfort and convenience provided by smart cities should be achieved without compromising the general principles on the protection of personal data and privacy. The document also includes some of the recommendations prepared for smart city authorities in line with previous incidents and examples in smart city applications.

The Regulation on the Use of Batteries prepared by the European Union regulates the future of batteries and products powered by them offered to consumers within the European Union. The Regulation sets out sustainability targets, recycling and safety requirements for batteries and these products. The regulaion sets out provisions on the lifetime of batteries offered to consumers, the use of lithium and nickel materials in such products, the recycling and disposal of the products after they have been used up, including the interchangeability of batteries in electronic products offered to the market by consumers, with targets for the years 2025, 2027 and 2030.

According to Reuters, the German Parliament has passed a regulation about making energy savings mandatory in all sectors in the country, in order to combat climate change and reduce the use of imported fossil fuels. The regulation requires energy savings in all commercial facilities, including public buildings, industry and data centers. The regulation aims to save 26.5% of the energy used in the country by 2030. Before the adoption of the bill, the amount of energy used in Germany was also decreasing. Last year, energy use in the country was at its lowest level since 1990. However, there are doubts about whether the bill will meet European Union requirements and whether it will be enough to meet Germany's 2030 climate target of reducing CO2 emissions by 65% compared to 1990.