Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Waste | Resources

ILESA - Smart steering of waste streams containing precious and minor metals: pooling, temporary storage, recovery rate

Final Report (Brief version)

The ILESA project investigated magnetic materials containing rare earth metals, vehicle electronics and other waste streams containing precious and minor metals with the objective to enhance the recovery of these metals. In order to increase recycling, dismantling and recycling obligations, labelling obligations, consolidation/ pooling workshops and other measures were developed and assessed using...read more

Transport

Let’s go!

Framework for a National Walking Strategy

Walking is the healthiest, cheapest and most environmentally friendly means of transport. Furthermore, active mobility, such as walking and cycling, is an essential element in successfully transforming the transport sector and achieving sustainable urban mobility. Despite this walking is still a niche topic in Germany. Cities, towns and communities who are responsible for walking are calling for a...read more

Nachhaltigkeit | Strategien | Internationales

European Green Recovery – Building back better based on the Green Deal

This position paper is the result of the work of the EPA Network’s group on Green Stimulus and reflects the inputs of all participants of the group. It emphasizes the urgent need to use the EU’s Covid-19 recovery efforts to also address the climate and biodiversity crises. Applying ambitious sustainability criteria to the economic recovery programmes of the EU will not only contribute to meeting t...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

International Environmental and Sustainability Policy During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic

The position paper discusses the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the global economy and geopolitics, for the countries of the Global South and for international environmental and sustainability policy. On this basis, the paper proposes approaches for a substantive reorientation of international environmental and sustainability policy. For example, the nexus of environment and health shou...read more

Wirtschaft | KonsumNachhaltigkeit | Strategien | Internationales

The Green New Consensus: Study Shows Broad Consensus on Green Recovery Programmes and Structural Reforms

The paper analyses 130 studies on green recovery programmes. It finds broad consensus on the need to use the Covid-19 recovery efforts to also address the climate and biodiversity crises. Consensus also exist on the benefits of green recovery programmes, the eligibility criteria to be applied and suitable areas of support. Further, research is increasingly calling for linking green recovery progra...read more

Health

Establishment of human biomonitoring at EU level within the framework of the EHBMI (European Human Biomonitoring Initiative, HBM4EU)

The report gives an overview on synergies between the two EU-projects BRIDGE HEALTH and HBM4EU with respect to the linkage of human biomonitoring studies and health studies. As this project aimed to use and further develop the knowledge and experience from BRIDGE HEALTH in HBM4EU, relevant results of BRIDGE HEALTH were summarised and recommendations for respective HBM4EU work packages were made.Mo...read more

Chemicals, Water

Validation of the NSAID in vitro assay for biomonitoring of NSAID activities in surface waters

The NSAID in vitro-Bioassay – originally developed for municipal waste water samples – can now be used to detect activity of cox-inhibitors in surface waters as well. By using 44 water samples from several European countries the application range and quality of this bioassay was increased and the limit of detection is further reduced to now 12 ng diclofenac/l. In this project other characteristics...read more

Climate | Energy

Background Paper: Key mitigation options to close the global 2030 ambition and action gap

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. G20 countries have a crucial role to play in realising increased climate policy ambition, given their strong economic and political influence as well as their high share in global greenhouse gas emissions. Th...read more