Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Chemicals, Water

PMT/vPvM assessment of REACH registered Substances Detected in Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent, Freshwater Resources and Drinking Water

A broad literature review (55 studies published between 2000 and 2019) now shows that 639 chemicals are already known as contaminants in river bank filtrate (114 substances), groundwater (338 substances), raw water (212 substances) or drinking water (385 substances). The literature review carried out by the German Environment Agency reveals: Every second substance that contaminates our drinking wa...read more

Chemicals, Water

REACH: Guidance and Methods for the Identification and Assessment of PMT/vPvM Substances

2nd Edition

Protection of drinking water resources from PMT/vPvM substances: Revised guidance for ⁠REACH⁠ registrants on the identification of these substances of very high concern (SVHC). Only 1.9 % of the unique chemical structures in the REACH registration database fall in the new ⁠CLP⁠ hazard classes PMT and vPvM. However, for a total of 64 % no final assessment was achieved, e...read more

Climate | Energy, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Short Typology of Carbon Dioxide Removals

How to best differentiate methods and technologies for establishing and enhancing carbon sinks?

On 30 November 2022, the Commission proposed a voluntary EU carbon removal certification framework (CRCF) in order to promote carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through natural and technical approaches and spur investments into the respective technologies.This paper analyzes CDR typologies, compares them to CDR in the CRCF and identifies room for improvements. The aim is to stimulate the public debate b...read more

Climate | Energy, Transport

National Energy and Climate Plans: Evidence of Policy Impacts and Options for more Transparency

A Meta Study assessing Evaluations of selected Policies reported in the Danish, French, German, Slovenian, and Swedish Plan

The meta study makes suggestions on content requirements, transparency and comprehensibility of NECP reporting and contributes to its further development. The authors analysed the German NECP and the NECPs of Denmark, France, Sweden and Slovenia. The focus was on the methodology of ex-ante and ex-post evaluations, the contributions of 23 PaMs to the achievement of the EU climate protection and ene...read more

Air

Particulate matter formation potential of gas-phase emissions over Germany

Particulate matter (PM) is the air pollutant that is responsible for the highest burden of disease in Germany and other European countries. Therefore, measures are needed to reduce its ambient concentrations. A large proportion of PM is not emitted directly: it is formed from gaseous precursors in the atmosphere. Hence, there is an urgent need to assess the contribution of gaseous emissions (NOX,...read more

Air

Manual on Methodologies and Criteria for Modelling and Mapping Critical Loads and Levels and Air Pollution Effects, Risks and Trends

This report is an important collection of tools used in the framework of the Geneva Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP). Thus, it provides for example a scientific basis on the application of critical levels and loads, their interrelationships, and the consequences for abatement. After the transfer of the Coordination Center for Effects from the Netherlands to Germany thi...read more

Climate | Energy, Transport, Noise, Soil | Land, Water, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Internal Development in Urban Growth Regions

Opportunities and Challenges for Technical Infrastructures

Cities in growth regions face major urban development challenges in meeting the demand for housing within the city. At the same time, capacity limits of urban technical infrastructures may arise and counteract the guiding principle of compact and thus land-saving inner development. The project therefore investigated the potentials for inner-city development using model cities as examples to examin...read more

Climate | Energy, Economy | Consumption

Effective and socially acceptable design of CO2 pricing in the building and transport sectors

Ambitious CO2 pricing via emissions trading is a key lever for achieving the statutory climate targets in the building and transport sectors. This makes climate protection measures economical, ensures target achievement through a binding upper limit on emissions and helps to keep the economic costs of climate protection low. However, it must be ensured that no social hardship arises. This study by...read more