Climate change isn’t something that will only happen in the future and affect faraway countries. Its consequences are becoming increasingly measurable and evident here in Germany. Find out more in the leading article in this newsletter. There is also the issue of what we can do to prevent global warming. In this newsletter, we present some of our findings. For example, studies on how Germany and the EU can become greenhouse gas neutral by 2050 as well as our concept for climate-friendly and low-noise aviation.
Wishing you happy reading,
The UBA press office
Climate change in Germany: New monitoring report illustrates far-reaching impact
More and more proof of global warming becoming evident
Source: Seonphoto SergeiGo / Fotolia
The effects of global warming are becoming increasingly evident in Germany and can be better documented. This shows the monitoring report on the German Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change, which was prepared by the Competence Centre on Climate Impacts and Adaptation (KomPass) at UBA, together with nearly 200 individuals from federal and Länder authorities, universities and professional associations, and presented to the public on 26 November. According to the report, the average air temperature in Germany rose by 1.5 degrees between 1881 and 2018, with a 0.3-degree increase over the last five years alone.
The consequences are far-reaching: The number of "hot days” – days on which temperatures climb to over 30°C has risen from around three in 1951, to about ten days per year today. The heat wave of 2003 caused 7,500 more deaths than would have otherwise occurred. Another cause for concern is the propagation of the Asian tiger mosquito, which can spread diseases such as Chikungaya or dengue fever previously not known to occur in Germany.
The increasing occurrence of drought in the past ten years has meant frequent low water tables, leading to water supply problems in some communities. More frequent dry spells and episodes of low water levels in rivers are taking a toll on ecosystems, impeding shipping and jeopardising the supply of cooling water to power plants and industry. Agriculture and forestry are also affected. The available water in agricultural soils has declined significantly over the past 50 years. In 2018, heat and drought caused damage worth 700 million euros in the agricultural sector. The increase in extreme weather events such as storms and heavy rains in 2018 led to insurance losses to buildings, motor vehicles, household goods, trade, industry and agriculture worth about 3.1 billion euros.
"The core message of the monitoring report is that the future is now. Germany is fully affected by global warming and its far-reaching impact on the environment, society and health. We urgently need to implement measures to counteract these effects.” said UBA President Maria Krautzberger.
Campaign launched for the correct disposal of electronic waste
On average, some 22 kilograms of e-waste are produced per person each year, although only 45 percent of it is recycled properly. This means that large quantities of valuable raw materials which could otherwise be recycled are lost. In this respect, on 14 November, the National Register for Waste Electric Equipment (stiftung ear) launched a nationwide information campaign which is supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the UBA. read more (in German)
UBA positions
Ban on climate-damaging SF6 possible in medium-voltage systems
Medium-voltage power transmission and distribution systems currently contain sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), which is 23,500 times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide. By 1 July 2020, the EU Commission is required to assess whether a ban on new secondary medium-voltage substations is possible. The UBA is unequivocally in favour of a ban, as alternatives are available. read more
In its new RESCUE study, the German Environment Agency (UBA) analyzes how to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality and reduce raw material consumption by 70 percent by the year 2050. The RESCUE study describes six scenarios of possible transformation pathways for which details must be fleshed out. The scenarios are meant to help the federal government achieve the agreed goal of greenhouse gas neutrali
New record high in packaging waste: 18.7 million tonnes accrued.
Reducing the energy demand and CO2 emissions from buildings
Measures such as energy-efficient materials for building shells or the use of heat pumps can reduce the energy requirements and CO2 emissions from buildings, all the way from their construction through to their maintenance and dismantling. According to a UBA study, building concepts which are based on a self-sufficient energy supply, in contrast, do not make ecological sense due to the total energy demand. read more (in German)
New UMID: How are things for the young generation in Germany?
In its "German Environmental Health Study", the UBA examined samples of urine and blood from children and adolescents for evidence of harmful substances. The current issue of the UMID journal explains the results of the testing. Additional topics: Noise, chemicals in consumer products, environmental justice and a new study by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) on chemical substances in prepared foods. read more (in German)
The "SeeElefant" maritime waste collection ship, a house made from cardboard, integrating mealworm farms in bakeries, an urban e-bike sharing system – the winners of the eighth Federal Ecodesign Award offer up innovative solutions and creativity in products and ideas on sustainable lifestyles in times of resource scarcity and climate change.
Greening the office roof, unsealing the schoolyard, farming crops which are adapted to climate change, flood management measures, etc. This is the fourth time the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is acknowledging local and regional projects which make a real contribution to coping with the effects of climate change in Germany.
UBA launches information portal on river restoration
Rivers and streams that are close to their natural state reduce the risk of flooding, increase the quality of life, provide a habitat for numerous animals and plants, and help break down environmentally harmful substances such as waste water or fertilisers. The UBA information portal on "River restoration" provides tips and information on how such rehabilitation can be implemented. read more (in German)
Environment at international level
What does a greenhouse gas neutral Europe look like?
The Paris Agreement requires the EU to reconsider its long-term climate change goals. The UBA has commissioned the "Greenhouse Gas Neutral Europe 2050” scenario, which demonstrates how Europe can become greenhouse gas neutral with an energy supply which is based entirely on renewable energies – supported by energy efficiency, electrification and other measures. publication: GHG-neutral EU2050
UBA panel recommends a more ecological EU agricultural policy from 2021
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU neglects the area of environmental protection: the existing system of farm payments cannot guarantee the protection of water, the climate or biodiversity. The German Environment Agency’s Agricultural Expert Panel (KLU) recommends moving away from fixed farm payments. In a position paper, it sets out key points to address for the funding period post-2021. read more (in German)
The Antarctic Treaty turns 60
On 1 December, the signing of the Antarctic Treaty celebrated its 60th anniversary. This milestone of international cooperation on the continent of ice is celebrated every year with Antarctica Day and highlights the extraordinary status and considerable scientific value of Antarctica. The UBA is implementing the Protocol on Environmental Protection for the Antarctic Treaty in Germany. read more (in German)
Law & legislation
New washing machines, refrigerators, etc. to be easier to repair from 2021
From March 2021, manufacturers of various products, such as TV sets, dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerators will only be allowed to place appliances on the market if they also issue spare parts and repair instructions. In addition, according to the new Eco Design regulations of the EU, spare parts must be replaceable with "generally available tools and without permanent damage to the equipment”. read more (in German)
More assiduous prosecution of environmental crimes
Every year, environmental crimes cause some 259 billion dollars’ worth of damage, worldwide. Even though the number of cases recorded in Germany has declined, according to a recent UBA study, many of the infringements are not prosecuted. The UBA therefore recommends a more consistent approach and better conditions for the prosecution of environmental crimes. read more (in German)
UBA news
UBA acknowledged once again for its commitment to equality
On 5 November 2019, the UBA was presented with the "Total E-Quality" award for the third time for its exemplary work in the field of equality between men and women, a work-life balance and gender mainstreaming. It was also presented with the additional Diversity award for measures which value employee diversity. read more (in German)
Detection of manufactured nanomaterials (NM) still features enormous challenges for environmental exposure assessment and management of NM. The expert opinion presents a comprehensive survey on existing experimental approaches to detect NM in the environment and analyses to what extent these approaches could be utilized and advanced to be used routinely for data collection to assess and manage…
In 2018, the European Commission published its Communication “A clean planet for all”, which calls for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. A thorough study commissioned by UBA assessing the underlying scenarios for policy making shows that central aspects for building an adequate ambitious long-term climate strategy, such as socio-economic, fiscal and technological were under consideration…
This paper examines the connection between Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on the one hand and carbon leakage on the other.
Firstly, this is done by considering different types of emission targets in the NDCs. With an NDC in a carbon leakage receiving country, shifted emissions in many cases require increased mitigation efforts, so carbon leakage comes at a…
In previous investigations it was demonstrated that the tiered approach for groundwater risk assessment of plant protection products in Europe (FOCUS) also represents and covers German environmental conditions. However, since a new approach of endpoint selection for groundwater modelling in the EU was implemented 2015, a recalculation of the results is required. A comparison of recalculated…
Which criteria and concepts for peatland projects are environmentally sound? This question is answered in a new study by the German Environment Agency. It considers standards for peatland projects in the voluntary market for emissions offsetting and in the future compliance markets.
Key recommendations are standardization and simplification of the project cycle and timelines, the development of…
Interest in seabed mineral mining has renewed in recent years for various reasons and new offs-hore mining legislation is currently being developed for national and international waters. For this reason, agreement on the meaning of ‘effective protection of the marine environment from adverse effects arising from activities’ related to mining is needed. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is…
Under the Paris Agreement (PA), Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change agreed to limit global warming to "well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels" and to make efforts to "limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels". Achieving these temperature objectives depends imperatively on sufficient national climate action in the mid-term. This study commissioned by…
Given that the Paris Agreement has strengthened the long-term temperature goal and that it calls for a balance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sinks within the 21st century, there is the urgent need to re-assess the long-term targets of the EU and to show how the target of GHG neutrality can be reached in the EU. The aim of this study was to design one way to realize a European Union with…
The success of climate and natural resource protection depends amongst others on the expansion of renewable energies. The policy paper describes the central results of the RESCUE study as well as the challenges and steps required to expand renewable energies in order to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality, and for Germany to make an appropriate contribution to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Mould and fungi pose major problems in residential buildings and indoor environments. Not only in older buildings without any insulation improvements on the envelope/building shell, but also in new energy efficient buildings can mould and growth of fungi occure. Most important is the influence of water and dampness. Mould on wall and furniture surfaces can be easily detected/recognizied, more…
Results of the conference (Berlin, 2-3 April 2019)
Summarized documentation of the international conference "Measuring Sustainability in Tourism - Opportunities and Limitations. International and national experts will gave an insight into current efforts to quantify sustainability in German tourism and put it in an international context. A quantitative assessment is relevant for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the…
This report presents the concept for the evaluation and further development of the national German adaptation strategy (DAS), a description of the survey instruments that shall be used and a detailed description on how the concept was developed.
The report covers main findings of two information collection activities that have been performed with the aim to collect information about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The information collections (literature research, IT-based surveys and targeted interviews with stakeholders) were performed to support the preparation of REACH restriction dossiers of long-chain perfluoroalkyl…
Chemicals with a specific combination of intrinsic substance properties pose a hazard to the sources of our drinking water, including substances that are very persistent (vP) in the environment and very mobile (vM) in the aquatic environment as well as substances that are persistent (P), mobile (M), and toxic (T). This publication presents the result of the scientific and technical development of…
Part A I: Validation of the national groundwater modelling approach based on results of outdoor lysimeter studies
The tiered approach for groundwater risk assessment of plant protection products in Europe (FOCUS) is evaluated to ensure whether this approach also represents and covers German environmental conditions. A comparison between modelled leachate concentrations and actual measurements from outdoor lysimeter studies provide evidence that a reliable and safe prediction of leachate concentrations for…
GIS-based analysis of the protection level of the FOCUS-scenarios representative for Germany concerning climate and soil properties for the national risk assessment groundwater
The European scenario Hamburg used in the tiered approach for groundwater risk assessment of plant protection products in Europe (FOCUS) is evaluated to ascertain whether it also represents and covers German environmental conditions. A German wide analysis using geodata provides evidence that national environmental soil and climate conditions are not suitably covered by the European scenario…
Herein a review of substances detected in drinking water and groundwater found that 43 percent of them are registered under EU REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. In addition, a PMT/vPvM assessment was applied to all REACH registered substances (as of May 2017). Persistent, Mobile and Toxic (PMT) and very Persistent, very Mobile (vPvM) substances pose an intrinsic hazard to the sources of our…
The RESCUE study describes in six scenarios possible development paths towards a resource-efficient and greenhouse-gas (GHG) neutral Germany until 2050. For this, assumptions related to the level of ambition for reaching GHG-neutrality, the magnitude of materials- and energy-efficiency, and the implementation of sustainable life-styles are varied. Until 2050, GHG-emissions can be reduced by 95…
The Paris Agreement combines collective goals with individual countries’ contributions. This hybrid approach does not guarantee that the individual contributions add up to what is required to meet the collective goals.
The Paris Agreement therefore established the Global Stocktake. Its task is to “assess collective progress” towards achieving the long-term goals of the agreement as of 2023 and…
The research report provides an overview of digitisation trends and developments in tourism with regard to resource consumption and environmental impacts. As a result, eleven relevant categories of digitisation are identified and systematised. The categories can allocated within three spheres. These are: a) data connectivity, i.e. the collection, linking and processing of data; b) the data…
Due to various international agreements, Germany is obliged to report emissions of air pollutants annually. Emission inventories are calculated using the fuel inputs known from the statistics and the associated fuel-specific emission factors. For large combustion plants comprehensive data on air pollutants are available on the basis of numerous measurements. These data were evaluated, calculated…
8th Global Nitrogen Conference of the International Nitrogen Initiative in 2020 (INI2020) under the overarching theme “Nitrogen and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”
As recounted
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More than two thirds of the energy to be consumed by households is used for the purposes of heating. This not only makes heating expensive, but by far the greatest source of CO2 in the household. And yet heating to an insufficient level is not recommended either: things become uncomfortable and the risk of mould increases. With the right methods of heating and ventilation, however, it is possible to reduce heating costs, protect the environment and prevent the formation of mould. Find out more in the UBA Consumer Guide.
