Publications

The European Union has introduced the EU Taxonomy and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) as key regulatory frameworks to enhance transparency and direct capital flows towards environmentally responsible investments.

This technical documentation is an annex to the final report „Überarbeitung des Luftqualitätsindex des Umweltbundesamtes nach der Herausgabe der Luftqualitätsleitlinien der WHO 2021", which is written in German. This present documentation explains the methodological derivation of the risk-based air quality index.

This fact sheet outlines the different scrubber technologies and describes their environmental impacts. These exhaust gas cleaning systems are used on seagoing vessels to comply with sulphur limits and to continue operating on more cost-effective, high-sulphur fuel oils. The fact sheet examines in depth the environmental impact of discharge water when discharged into the sea.

This study by analyses the relevance, regulation, and potential pricing of emissions along the natural gas supply chain within the EU climate policy framework, without making definitive policy recommendations. In addition to combustion emissions, supply-chain emissions of CO₂ and methane can increase the climate footprint of natural gas by up to 35%.

The European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS 1) and the United Kingdom Emissions Trading System (UK ETS) are cornerstones of the respective jurisdiction’s climate mitigation policy.

For the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–34, the system of intervention areas (IA) with their climate and environmental coefficients is central to financing environmental and climate-related measures. The Commission’s proposal is analyzed for selected IA, and policy options are outlined.

As part of the development of the Handbook of Emission Factors for Road Transport (HBEFA), this report details three of the key work packages carried out for HBEFA 5.1:

Update of the aging functions for the deterioration of exhaust aftertreatment systems and temperature influences.

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.