It is tasked, in addition to its core regulatory and infrastructure responsibilities, with the promotion of scientific research and technological progress.

The Ministry also owns and supervises the via donau, a corporation charged with the maintenance of the Danube as a commercial shipping route and wildlife reserve.

In 1973, it was put in charge of a number of additional areas, including but not limited to motor vehicles, traffic police matters, and mineral oil pipelines.

On 29 January 2020, it was renamed Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.

[4] As of January 2020, the Ministry is charged with regulating, supervising, or managing, respectively:[5] Since January 2020, the ministry consists of the Minister and her personal staff (Kabinett), the office of the general secretary, and seven departments (Sektionen):[6] The Minister and her staff are political appointees; the general secretary and the section heads are career civil servants.