You are in: Home > Transport - What's new
Last changed: 01/03/2010
UBA speaks again in favour of use of the environmentally friendly refrigerant R744 and against the use of HFC-1234yf as a refrigerant in mobile air conditioners. New tests of the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) confirm hazards associated with the use of HFC-1234yf.
A research project commissioned by the UBA analyses economic instruments designed to reduce emissions from seagoing ships. The results are presented in two studies. One deals with the extension of the EU emissions trading scheme to shipping, and the second study evaluates different market-based instruments for abatement of emissions from shipping, taking the Baltic Sea as pilot region.
The Blue Angel for low-noise and fuel-saving tyres now has even higher standards, thereby anticipating the limit values that will be in force throughout the EU as of 2012. All this is in the name of protecting human health and the environment—and it also happens to be good for the purse. Blue Angel tyres can save car drivers about 50 euros’ worth in fuel per year.
The present User Guide provides a systematic, soundly based instrument for controlling transport development planning which takes account of the complex relations between measures and effects. It makes it possible to arrive at a comprehensive description of the overall town planning and transport planning objective of ”sustainable mobility”, and to examine the route to achieving it.
The additional manufacturing costs for reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of cars by 20 percent using available technology range between 280 and 900 Euros, depending on vehicle type. But the up side is that fuel-efficient cars are less polluting, more economical to operate and have clear advantages in international competition.
People exposed to high levels of night-time aircraft noise often have higher blood pressure levels that those living in quieter residential areas. This is a finding from an international study in which the Federal Environment Agency participated. An increase in night-time aircraft noise by 10 decibels [dB(A)] within a noise level range between 30 and 60 [dB(A)] already raises the risk of hypertension in men and women by about 14 percent.
On 17 October 2007 the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union, the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the environmental organisation Transport and Environment (T&E) organised a seminar in Brussels to discuss air pollution and emissions of climate-changing gases from maritime transport.
The City of Riga and the Federal Environment Agency commissioned the Latvian companies Eirokonsultants and Imink to develop approaches to strengthening local public passenger transport in Riga, with extensive support from the Büro für Verkehrsökologie (BVÖ), Bremen. Based on traffic surveys, the project proposed options for the introduction of bus lanes, public transport priority schemes and a system of suitable park & ride sites.
The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) says there is not much going for longer and heavier trucks – so-called megatrucks – on Germany’s roads. The use of these trucks, which are up to 25 meters long and weigh up to 60 tonnes, neither relieves the environment nor the road infrastructure. In a six-page background paper, the UBA provides answers to the most pressing questions about the environmental impact of these supersize trucks.
Aircraft noise can be markedly reduced by tightening noise emission standards in the international certification of civil aircraft. A study carried out by the Öko-Institut on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency makes concrete proposals for the updating of international noise standards for civil aircraft in the light of the expected technical development of civil jet engines.
The transport sector can help to protect the climate not only through technical measures, but also through a multitude of non-technical measures which have major CO2 saving potential. This is the key conclusion of a new UBA status report on CO2 emission reduction in the transport sector in Germany. The report identifies significant saving potentials for the 2020 and 2030 time horizons.
Freight transport exposes many people to exhaust gas emissions and noise and contributes significantly to climate change. UBA’s ”Strategy for Sustainable Freight Transport” shows that this can be changed. The report describes the past, present and future development of freight transport, identifies conflicts with environmental protection requirements and presents measures to reduce its environmental impacts.
The new EU emissions trading directive stipulates that the aviation sector will be included in the EU emissions trading scheme as of 2012, and reporting obligations already commence in 2010. Essentially every carrier whose aircraft depart or land within the European Union will be affected by this extension of the emissions trading scheme.
The ADAC-EcoTest provides an assessment of the environmental features of passenger cars. The pollutants and CO2 emissions of cars i.a. are measured and evaluated under real world conditions.
The transport sector in Europe is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and noise. Germany is one of only three European countries which could reduce their transport-related greenhouse gas emissions since 1990. This shows the new report on transport and the environment which the European Environment Agency (EEA) presented to the European Parliament in Brussels.
The transport sector should be included in a CO2 reduction regime with ambitious reduction targets from the beginning. The earlier the necessary reduction measures take effect, the lower will be the costs. This and other results are documented in the workshop report ”Climate Change and Environmental Issues in Transportation”.
Noise and air pollution from aircraft cause environmental costs in the vicinity of airports. According to the polluter-pays principle the air traffic sector should pay for these impacts. The Federal Environment Agency invited experts to discuss external costs near airports and concepts for internalising them at a conference on 13th/14th May 2008.
The proceedings of a symposium dealing with urban mobility of the future (Stadt der Zukunft: kommunal mobil), staged jointly by the Federal Environment Agency, the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) and the German Association of Towns and Cities (DST), are now available. The documentation presents the scopes of action discussed at the symposium as well as good-practice examples of how urban mobility can be rendered environmentally compatible and health-promoting.
Fine particulates from urban transport
Experts
of the Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) at Leipzig-Halle, the Leibniz-Institute
for Tropospheric Research (IfT) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA)
met in February 2005 in Leipzig for the workshop ”Verkehrsbedingte
Feinstäube in der Stadt” (Fine particulates caused by urban
traffic).
The experts discussed the impact of fine particles on human health as well as
different measuring and modelling methods.
Furthermore traffic-related measures to reduce levels of fine particulate matter
in ambient air were presented.
Although noise limit values have been tightened repeatedly during the
past few decades, many passenger cars are still as loud today as they were
25 years ago. A practical test commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency revealed that while manufacturers made significant progress during
this time period in the area of motor vehicle propulsion noise alone, today’s
tires are hardly quieter on the road than 25 years ago.
The Technical Inspection Service (TÜV) has developed on behalf of Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt - UBA) criteria for an update of Directive 93/116/EC on the measurement of fuel consumption and the CO2 emissions of passenger cars. The main purpose of the project was to provide vendees with better information on fuel consumption by auxiliary equipment such as air-conditioners and to thus give them guidance for the purchase of fuel efficient cars. Furthermore, car manufacturers are to be given an incentive to avoid auxiliary equipment or to install fuel-efficient equipment.