Publications

SF₆ and NF₃ are long-lived greenhouse gases with extremely high global warming potentials. Their use, especially in switchgear and in the semiconductor industry, has led to a significant rise in their atmospheric mixing ratios globally.

In Article 2.1 (c) of the Paris Agreement, the international community sets itself the goal of aligning global financial flows with the objectives of the Agreement. But how can we determine whether this goal is being achieved?

The project aimed to identify how the EU can achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Three transformation pathways were modelled based on different assumptions. A reference scenario reflecting current policies showed that climate neutrality cannot be reached under existing measures.

Currently, policymakers are debating the design of the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) in the EU Emissions Trading System 2 (EU ETS 2) and its role in smoothing allowance supply, limiting price increases, and safeguarding the system’s environmental integrity.

This publication provides an overview about data of the German PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register). For each pollutant, the number of reported facilities and their releases to air, water and land and their off-site transfer in waste water are clearly displayed.

The circular economy is a transformation towards an economy that is resource-efficient, climate-neutral and resilient. Experts from the German Environment Agency and the German Raw Materials Agency systematically analyse available data on metal material cycles, focusing on secondary raw materials, recycling metrics, and material qualities.

Textiles are a priority product group under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) due to their significant environmental impact. The aim of the study was to develop suggestions regarding ecodesign requirements and to explore how these can be communicated through an ecodesign label.

To assess the risks posed by legacy munition contamination, preliminary quality standards for TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) were developed for the protected resources of pelagic communities in freshwater and seawater, for human health via seafood consumption, and for drinking water.

The two-volume policy report is the first comprehensive legal assessment, which systematically compares national legal frameworks for munitions in the Baltic Sea Region and derives tangible proposals for EU-wide harmonisation.

The EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework offers an opportunity to align funding with competitiveness and resilience goals. The current proposal suggests a weakening of the environmental and climate priorities. This policy brief advocates for a future-oriented MFF that embrasses resilience, climate change, environment and green innovation.

With the new version of "The Handbook on Environmental Value Factors – Methodological Convention 4.0", UBA provides a comprehensive update of its environmental value factors for Greenhouse gases and other pollutants and a number of economic activities. The new handbook replaces the Methodological Convention 3.2. 

In environmental risk assessments for veterinary medicines, FOCUS models are applied to calculate the concentration in groundwater and surface water. The report suggests harmonised input parameters applicable to veterinary medicines and aids in the analysis of results. It also contains a manual for performing FOCUS simulations.