Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Climate | Energy

Competitiveness and Linking of Emission Trading Systems

Emissions trading systems have been or are being established in many countries and regions around the world to curb climate-damaging emissions of greenhouse gases. Most of these systems include measures to safeguard the competitiveness of industries under an emissions cap. This study commissioned by UBA has examined and compared various approaches, with the aim of an early identification of potent...read more

Waste | Resources

Development of scientific and technical foundations for a national waste prevention programme

In a new waste hierarchy the amended EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD) (2008/98/EG) confirmed the prevention of waste as a priority measure to protect the environment with regard to the production and handling of waste. Amongst others the Member States are requested to promote waste prevention. According to article 29 par. 1 WFD the prevention measures have to be planned in terms of waste prevent...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Concept development for an environmental impact assessment for off-shore wind parks in the Baltic States

Final Report 2010

The present report shall describe the activities carried out in the frame of the project „Concept development for an environmental impact assessment for off-shore wind parks in the Baltic States “ from November 2007 till October 2009. The aim of the project was the support of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian environmental authorities with the development of a concept for EIA for off-shore wind...read more

Climate | Energy, Waste | Resources

Climate Protection Potential in the Waste Management Sector

Examples: Municipal Waste and Waste Wood

By ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, Germany undertook to make annual reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) about Germany’s emissions of greenhouse gases. This is done in the National Inventory Report (NIR), which under the Common Reporting Format (CRF) is required to observe a specific organisation. This means that waste management aspects are only to be found...read more

Climate | Energy

Options for utilizing the CDM for global emission reductions

So far, developing countries do not contribute to global emissions reductions in the framework of the Kyoto Protocol: while they participate in the CDM, the reductions achieved through the mechanism are used for offsetting emissions in industrialized countries, thus resulting in a zero-sum game for the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states in its Fourth Assessment...read more

Climate | Energy, Waste | Resources, Soil | Land

Development of strategies and sustainability standards for the certification of biomass for international trade

Summarizing Final Report

The increased production of renewable raw materials for bioenergy and bio-materials needed to meet the ambitious targets of Germany, the EU and other countries implies tradeoffs which could oppose sustainability requirements. The project “Development of strategies and sustainability standards for the certification of internationally traded biomass (Bio-global)”, sponsored by the German Federal Min...read more

Climate | Energy

Establishment of an Indicator Concept for the German Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change

Even if we succeed in achieving the EU target of reducing global warming to 2°C, it will be absolutely essential to adapt to changing climatic conditions. The greenhouse gases cur-rently present in the atmosphere will influence the climate in coming decades. The day on which it is quite clear which climatic scenario prevails, so that it is possible to model all rele-vant processes down to regional...read more