Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Economy | Consumption, Waste | Resources, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Dialogues on the waste prevention programme II

The federal government's first waste prevention program (WPP) with the participation of the federal states was passed in 2013 and continued in 2021. The WPP was accompanied by a dialogue process to strengthen communication and networking between those involved in the implementation process. For specific fields of action, suitable instruments for reducing barriers were developed and impulses were g...read more

Climate | Energy, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification in a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

Which rules and standards for calculating and certifying product-related emissions?

Die EU hat ein Gesetz zur Einführung eines Grenzausgleichsmechanismus erlassen. Dieses Gesetz wirft einige Fragen hinsichtlich der praktischen und rechtlichen Durchführbarkeit auf, einschließlich möglicher rechtlicher Herausforderungen im Hinblick auf das internationale Handelsrecht. Ein wichtiger Aspekt des CBAM sind effektive Vorgaben für die Überwachung und Berichterstattung (MRV) von Emissione...read more

Climate | Energy, Chemicals, Water, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Overview of hazardous substances potentially emitted from offshore industries to the marine environment - Part 2: Emissions from offshore oil and gas industry

The report provides an overview of potential inputs of hazardous substances from the offshore oil and gas industry into the North Sea. Emissions from drilling fluids, cuttings piles, accidental spills, produced water and corrosion protection materials were investigated. The individual substances contained were evaluated according to their persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity and according to...read more

Chemicals, Soil | Land, Agriculture, Water

Application of nonlinear hierarchical models to the kinetic evaluation of chemical degradation data

Guidance for the use of an R markdown template file

In this report, nonlinear hierarchical models and their use for the kinetic evaluation of chemical degradation data are presented. These models allow for a joint evaluation of multiple data sets, directly resulting in overall degradation parameters and their statistical distribution. Common problems occurring in the separate kinetic evaluation of each dataset with subsequent amalgamation of the ki...read more

Waste | Resources

Opportunities and limits of recycling in the context of the circular economy

Framework conditions, requirements, and recommendations for action

In addition to environmental and climate policy objectives, the Circular Economy is also essential for strengthening the security of supply and for achieving further economic and socio-economic goals. Recycling is one of the key factors along with a range of other approaches and strategies (e.g., longevity, Intensity of use, and the sharing economy). In order to assess the contribution and the lim...read more

Climate | Energy

Update of methane emission factors for natural gas supply

Comparison of previous greenhouse gas reporting methods with new findings from emission measurements in Germany

The European Green Deal, the Methane Pledge based on the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2021, the German Climate Protection Act, and other national and international efforts intend to reduce global methane emissions. Against this background, it is necessary to reflect the efforts of industry and politics in the national inventories. Extensive measurement programs of transmiss...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Environmental Protection in the Arctic – support of German activities in the Arctic Council in terms of a pilot study on monitoring plastic litter on arctic coastlines applying remote sensing techniques

Uniform monitoring of beach litter in the Arctic is crucial for assessing the state of the environment and the success of measures against plastic debris to protect the marine environment. In this project, remote sensing methods such as satellite imagery and drone imagery were used to efficiently survey beaches in the Arctic. The results show that a combination of satellite imagery, drone imagery,...read more

Climate | Energy

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) - Contribution to the discussion on its integration into national climate action strategies

The UBA position paper assesses the usefullness of carbon capture and storage (⁠CCS⁠ for short) as a climate protection instrument. It describes guidelines for sustainable use, as well as the necessary monitoring and risk prevention. The effects of CCS on human health and the environment are also considered. According to the paper, CCS cannot replace greenhouse gas reductions and the...read more