Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Climate | Energy, Economy | Consumption, Noise

Energy and transport vulnerability of households in the context of emissions trading: An analysis for 10 EU Member States

Energy and transport poverty and vulnerability are a central building block in the debate around many energy and climate policy issues and have gained firm hold in EU directives, regulations and documents. National governments need to establish indicators for both energy and transport poverty and vulnerability, to fulfil reporting requirements to the EU and to develop and target suitable policies...read more

Climate | Energy

Poster: Risks of Solar Radiation Modification (SRM)

SRM is supposed to mask global warming by enhancing the earth’s albedo, for example by stratospheric aerosol injection. Thus altering the whole climate system, SRM would impact most areas of life. The risks for geopolitics, mitigation deterrence, ecosystems, justice, food security and water availability are illustrated in this graphic.read more

Waste | Resources

Determination of food waste in Germany in 2020, fulfilment of the reporting obligation to the EU Commission in 2022 and derivation of recommendations for action

The study provides an up-to-date database on food waste in Germany for the 2020 reporting year as part of mandatory EU reporting. Food waste was determined in all five stages of the food chain. The methodology is based on the disposal of waste. The data is based on official waste statistics. The proportion of food waste per waste code (waste coefficient) was determined in order to calculate the ac...read more

Climate | Energy, Economy | Consumption, Air, Waste | Resources, Health, Transport, Noise, Soil | Land, Agriculture, Water, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Methodological Convention 3.2 for the Assessment of Environmental Costs

Value Factors

The new version of the UBA Handbook on Environmental Value Factors – the „Methodological Convention 3.2” – contains a partial update of the monetized environmental impacts published in the “Methodological Convention 3.1”, based on new value factors for greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. A comprehensive update of all value factors – including components such as emission factors and utiliza...read more

Climate | Energy, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

The EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework: Options for using certified removal units and funding mitigation activities

With the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF), adopted in 2024, the EU established a voluntary framework for carbon removal certification, which includes criteria for the certification of removals, rules for the certification process and the recognition of certification schemes. This report discusses the options for how certified removal units may be used and what policy options are avail...read more

Climate | Energy, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

How to measure and quantify biogenic carbon removals

Requirements for a transparent monitoring system

Robust quantification of carbon dioxide removals (CDR) lies at the heart of any certification mechanism and is central for their functionality and environmental integrity. For the establishment of a Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) that was recently adopted, the EU Commission is currently conducting an inventory of the existing knowledge base. The objective of most certification mecha...read more

Climate | Energy, Waste | Resources, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters, Digitalisation

Factsheet: The use of natural resources

Since 2016, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has regularly published a report on the situation regarding the use of natural resources in Germany. The UBA Resource Report examines the diverse connections between raw material consumption, raw material extraction, global trade and economic development and also takes a look at flowing resources such as wind, sun and water as well as the environmen...read more

Climate | Energy, Waste | Resources, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters, Digitalisation

Factsheet: Digitalisation and natural resources

The ‘DigitalRessourcen’ research project analysed the resource intensity and greenhouse gas emissions of the digital transformation in Germany at both micro and macro level. The resource intensity of digital applications was calculated in ten case studies (micro level) using LCA methodology. At the macro level, the raw material consumption (RMC), the raw material input (RMI) and the carbon footpri...read more