Publications

The Paris Agreement combines collective goals with individual countries’ contributions. This hybrid approach does not guarantee that the individual contributions add up to what is required to meet the collective goals. The Paris Agreement therefore established the Global Stocktake.

With the indicator report "Data on the Environment – Environmental Monitor 2020", the German Environment Agency provides a condensed picture of the state of the environment, the causes of environmental pollution and starting points for improved policy action.

The publication describes the preliminary status of German air quality in 2020. Regarding PM (particulate matter) the reduction of pollution has continued. Consistently to this development, there are hardly any exceedances of the EU annul limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). And there was less ozone pollution than in both previous years.

The restriction process is a central instrument of REACH to regulate risks of substances by means of a restriction or prohibition for certain concentration ranges and uses. This project analysed the current implementation of the process based on a literature review and case studies with a focus on the workload for authorities, the duration of the procedure and the role oft he committees.

The study operationalized the HELCOM core indicator “Zooplankton mean size and total stock” (MSTS) in the Western Baltic Sea. The indicator is also used under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to assess food webs and pelagic habitats.

The Paris Agreement (PA) has set a more ambitious target for limiting global warming compared to the pre-industrial level. Compared to the architecture of the Kyoto Protocol, the PA also sets stricter but voluntary targets for greenhouse gas emissions limitation in the period after 2020 and aims at global greenhouse gas neutrality in the second half of the century at the latest.

Achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires increased global climate action, especially reduced deforestation and restoration of forests to protect and rebuild ecosystems carbon stocks.

Achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires increased global climate action for sustainable food systems, especially a reduction of food loss and waste and dietary shifts towards plant-based diets.

Staying within the limit of the Paris Agreement of 1.5 °C global warming requires closing the global 2030 ambition and action gap arising from insufficient current policies and contributions. This background paper documents the methodology and criteria for assessing multilateral initiatives of the G20 countries in four policy fields.

The authorisation process is a central instrument of REACH, aiming at reducing risks from the use of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). The goal is a stepwise elimination of such substances from the market with the option to grant temporary exemptions.

An essential prerequisite for a sustainable energy supply and greenhouse gas neutrality in Germany and worldwide is the complete conversion of the energy supply to renewable energies. Wind and sun are the sources with the greatest supply potential. However, these energy sources have a low energy density and are not uniformly available everywhere to the same extent.

The project conducted the third application of the OSPAR Common Procedue for the assessment of the eutrophication status of the German coastal and marine waters of the North Sea, based on data from 2009-2014. The assessment results were also used in the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive for descriptor 5 “eutrophication”.