Welcome to the new issue of ‘The Latest from UBA’!
These days, many purchases are made online. But how sustainable actually is online shopping? In this edition, we present the exciting findings of a German Environment Agency (UBA) study on this topic. Additionally, we look at, among other things, which outstanding projects have been nominated for the Federal Ecodesign Award this year, how to reduce the pollution of the environment by pharmaceuticals and how cities and rural areas can better tackle their challenges together.
We hope you find it an interesting read
Your UBA Press and Public Relations team
Lack of sustainability in online shopping
Webshop can be designed to promote sustainability
Source: Rawf8 / Adobe Stock
Is your toaster broken, or do you need new winter shoes? Today, the solution is just a few clicks away – online shopping. But more often than not, this means ordering new, inexpensive products rather than choosing more sustainable options. Repairs, second-hand goods, or environmentally friendly alternatives are rarely visible unless you deliberately search for them. This is the clear – and rather sobering – finding of a new study by the UBA.
Dirk Messner, President of the German Environment Agency, explains, “Those who shop online usually find the cheapest product – but hardly ever the most sustainable one. This needs to change if we want to make consumption sustainable in the long term. Shopping platform operators must take responsibility here by making sustainable alternatives more visible." Online shops and comparison portals should, for example, also offer repair services, second-hand goods, along with clear filters and comparison options for sustainability aspects such as material origin, energy efficiency, repairability, or product lifespan.
But policymakers could also do more to promote sustainable consumption in online shopping. For example, through legal requirements for algorithmic recommendation systems, uniform quality criteria and return options for second-hand purchases, or by creating financial incentives for repairs.
Climate change is already impacting all regions of Europe, posing complex challenges for human well-being, ecosystems, and the economy. Even though significant progress has been made over the past years, the forthcoming European Climate Resilience and Risk Management Framework (ECRRMF) must take a more ambitious approach to ensure resilience and preparedness across Europe by 2050.
Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. On top of this, methane is a key precursor for the formation of ground-level ozone. Ozone is linked to negative health effects whilst also damaging ecosystems and crops. Reducing methane emissions thus contributes to climate protection and also helps protect public health and ecosystems.
As part of the research project FKZ 3722 42 510 0 ‘Climate protection measures in coastal regions and waters’
Coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass meadows and tidal marshes, function as natural carbon sinks, thereby playing a vital role in the global carbon cycle. These Blue Carbon ecosystems have been found to be effective carbon storage mechanisms, whilst also providing a habitat for biodiversity and enhancing coastal resilience.
This factsheet provides a comprehensive overview of the…
This publication compares different methodological approaches to accounting for greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands in Germany: national GHG reporting under the UN Climate Convention, corporate reporting based on the GHG Protocol, and standards for peatland climate protection projects. It analyses differences in objectives, spatial and temporal references, and methodological accuracy. The…
Final report of the project “Network of Authorities for Climate Change and Adaptation- Methods to Support and Improve he German Climate Adaptation Strategy”
The German Adaptation Strategy (DAS) provides the basis for climate adaptation concepts and measure developments in Germany. The regular further development of the DAS offers crucial opportunities to incorporate new scientific findings and to optimize approaches and procedures. The report presents the results of a research project that identified potential for further development of the DAS based…
The EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) replaces the free allocation in the EU ETS 1 as the main carbon leakage instrument. The study discusses the potential expansion of the CBAM to downstream products. Using the example of products from the automotive value chain (wheels, brakes, crankshafts, forged and flat-rolled primary products), it shows that the CO₂ costs vary greatly depending…
European emissions trading (EU ETS) is a central component of German and European climate policy. This final report summarises the results of a research project that investigated the causes of emissions trends in the most relevant sectors in terms of emissions (combustion, iron and steel industry, cement clinker production, refineries) of the EU ETS 1 in the period 2005 and, depending on the…
Pollution of the environment by pharmaceuticals is a growing problem. Environmentally sound disposal helps to reduce their unnecessary entry into the environment. To address this issue the German Environment Agency has set up the portal ‘Pharmaceuticals and the environment.’ It provides information and recommendations for pharmaceutical and medical professionals as well as for consumers.
As part of its statutory duties in the field of chemical safety, the German Environment Agency (UBA) is responsible for the environmental risk assessment of chemicals. This risk assessment is based on data from standardised ecotoxicological laboratory and field tests, which are generally described in Test Guidelines (TGs) published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development…
The UBA aims to contribute to the development of an EU guidance document on risk assessment for amphibians. As part of the project, data on the toxicity of various pesticides to amphibians were systematically researched, processed, and supplemented with its own experiments to establish a scientific basis for risk assessment. The impact of direct exposure through overspraying of amphibians and…
The REACH Regulation (EC 1907/2006) ensures chemical safety by requiring rigorous risk assessments before market entry. Safety data sheets (SDS) are vital for communicating safe usage guidelines, yet deficiencies are common, with up to 52% of SDSs found to be inadequate. This project aimed to identify gaps in SDS data by surveying actors across the supply chain with a specific focus on effect…
The HBEFA (Handbook for Emission Factors in Road Transport) is an IT application that provides emission factors (EF) for greenhouse gases, air pollutants, and final energy consumption factors for all relevant vehicle categories in road transport. The emission factors can be differentiated in the HBEFA according to "traffic situations" (VS). A primary goal of the HBEFA is to enable the…
In 2025, the German Ecodesign Award will once again impressively demonstrate how ecological design positively impacts the environment and our everyday culture, and the contribution it makes to transformation. Around 380 submissions from business, research, and universities across Europe reflect the growing commitment to ecological design in all areas of life.
The German Environment Agency (UBA) has taken action against unfair business practices by the sales platform CopeCart. In a decision dated 4 June 2025, it prohibited the company from offering distance learning courses to consumers in Austria that are not properly approved.
UBA invites to the final conference of the EU project “NiCE” on March 11–12, 2026, at the UBA headquarters in Dessau-Roßlau. Together with cities, regions, networks, NGOs, and initiatives, we want to discuss ways to promote sustainable consumption structures in city centers.
City centres as places of commercial consumption are facing new challenges, not only due to the growing impact of online retail. At the same time, urgently needed approaches to sustainable lifestyles remain confined to niches. This guide demonstrates how city centres can be revitalised while simultaneously becoming vibrant and future-proof spaces for sustainable consumption.
Emission measurements of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, total organic carbon, methane, and (for oil-firing plants) the smoke number were carried out at 100 medium combustion plants with a rated thermal input between 1 MW and 10 MW. For Germany, emission factors and the emissions in 2020 were calculated, the emissions in 2030 werde estimated in two scenarios.
Global efforts to reduce emissions remain inadequate which resulted in an increasing need for negative emission technologies that actively remove and permanently sequester CO₂ from the atmosphere.
We highlight the rapid growth of commercial mCDR start-ups, despite limited research and potential irreversible harm to marine ecosystems. These activities appear uncoordinated, lack oversight, and show…
Literature research and recommendations for action
Plant protection products (PPPs) can be transported from the target area to other environmental compartments, e.g. groundwater. To minimize potential negative impacts, their environmental fate is assessed as part of the PPPs authorization process. Bank filtration describes the process where surface water infiltrates into groundwater systems, transporting dissolved or particulate compounds through…
Biocides, commonly used in building materials, are released through precipitation and can contaminate the groundwater. The study evaluates the transport of biocides through urban pathways — vegetated soils, permeable pavements, and infiltration systems — and gives recommendations for refining the European Emission Scenario Documents (ESD).
The aim is to enhance groundwater protection in urban areas…
Urban and rural areas are often perceived as opposites. In reality, however, they are closely interwoven. While cities are struggling with rising rents and space scarcites, many rural regions are facing an ageing population and a shortage of skilled workers.
The aim of the MICROSOIL project was to identify meaningful endpoints for assessing the effects of plant protection products, veterinary pharmaceuticals and biocides on microorganisms in agricultural soils.
The current risk assessment for plant protection products (PPPs) considers the effects of PPPs on nitrogen turnover by microorganisms in test soils according to the OECD 216 testguideline…
