The Latest from UBA - No.: 6/2025 | Umweltbundesamt

The relevance of autochthonous vs. allochthonous carbon in Blue Carbon ecosystems for climate change mitigation

As part of the research project FKZ 3722 42 510 0 ‘Climate protection measures in coastal regions and waters’

Blue Carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows, play a vital role in climate mitigation by storing atmospheric CO₂ in their soils. This paper highlights the critical need to distinguish between autochthonous (locally fixed) and allochthonous (externally sourced) carbon to ensure accurate carbon accounting. It states, that the inclusion of allochthonous carbon may ...read more

Inclusion of downstream products in CBAM

Assessment and operationalisation of relevant criteria

The CBAM scope includes selected imported goods to ensure a level playing field with EU production covered by the EU ETS 1. While 573 mainly basic materials and products are covered, expanding the scope to downstream goods must be assessed. The paper identifies five criteria for prioritisation: share of CBAM inputs, emissions relevance, carbon-leakage risk, administrative burden, and avoidance ...read more

Models for the analysis of international interrelations of the EU ETS and of a CBAM - Summary

Two types of large-scale models with different modelling philosophies are used to quantify socioeconomic effects in scenarios in which the EU moves forward in climate policy and applies different design options under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) combined with a Carbon Border Adjustment (CBAM). One model, GEM-E3, is a computable general equilibrium model that follows neoclassical theory...read more

Unpacking Article 2.1(c): Conceptual and Political Dimensions of Climate-Consistent Finance under the Paris Agreement

Discussion Paper

In Article 2.1 (c) of the Paris Agreement, the international community sets itself the goal of ensuring that global financial flows are consistent with the objectives of the Agreement. But how can we determine whether this goal is being achieved? The German Federal Environment Agency has commissioned a research project to develop an assessment approach to this question. This discussion paper la...read more

The extension of the EU ETS 1 to maritime transport: market and policy mix analysis

An analysis of the new sector in the EU ETS 1

The aim of this report is to analyse the (economic) impacts of the extension of the EU ETS 1 to maritime transport on the sector and the interlinkages with other policies considering the overall climate impacts. The report contains a market analysis for maritime transport services, which was carried out for maritime and inland shipping. The report also analyses the qualitative effects and inter...read more

Identification, analysis and presentation of the products in the industrial sectors covered by the EU ETS, their economic importance and their significance for CO₂ emissions

In this data research project, quantitative data from available sources of information relating to two core topics will be researched and compiled in a uniform data format: 1. product-related material flows, energy consumption and (direct and indirect) greenhouse gas emissions within the scope of the EU-ETS 1, with a focus on the steel, cement, aluminium, refinery and basic chemicals industries...read more

Toxicological basic data for the derivation of EU-LCI values for five substances

Substance profiles and proposed EU-LCI values for 4-hydroxy-4-methylpentan-2-one, 1,4-butanediol, acetophenone, n- and isopropyl acetate and isobutyl acetate

The subject of this project was the preparation of substance reports for five substances relevant for building products emissions. For these substances, the toxicological data basis was compiled and evaluated, and EU-LCI values were proposed. The EU-LCI values allow the harmonisation of the health assessment of building products emissions throughout Europe. The EU-LCI Working Group is currently...read more

Risk management for plant protection products: Higher uncertainties by combining multiple measures?

A statistical analysis

In the environmental risk assessment of plant protection products, the risk of spray drift losses to the off-field can be reduced by adding drift reduction measures. The question is how the combination of several measures affects the overall risk and, in particular, the associated uncertainty. Various statistical methods have been used to quantify both the overall risk and its uncertainty, in p...read more

Determination of log KOC values according to OECD TG 106

For Melamine (CAS: 108-78-1)

The report presents a study on the environmental behaviour of melamine (CAS: 108-78-1), investigated in adsorption and desorption experiments with five different soils. As part of the study, the organic carbon-normalized adsorption coefficients (Koc values) were determined. Koc describes the relative distribution of a substance between soil and water, normalized to the fraction of organic carbo...read more

Determination of log KOC values according to OECD TG 106

For 1H-benzotriazole (CAS: 95-14-7), 4-methyl- (CAS: 29878-31-7) and 5-methyl-benzotriazole (CAS: 136-85-6)

The report presents a study on the environmental behaviour of three benzotriazoles – 1H-benzotriazole (CAS 95-14-7), 4-methylbenzotriazole (CAS 29878-31-7), and 5-methylbenzotriazole (CAS 136-85-6) – investigated in adsorption and desorption experiments with five different soils. As part of the study, the organic carbon-normalized adsorption coefficients (Koc values) were determined. Koc descri...read more

Detailed Annexes to the “UNECE Guidance document on national nitrogen budgets"

Update 2025

Anthropogenic activities to a great extent influence and alter the natural nitrogen cycle. The existing guidance document offers detailed description to inventory human influenced nitrogen fluxes on a national level. In eight chapters, the eight technical annexes are described to implement a national nitrogen budget. A National nitrogen budget serves as a tool of the Geneva Convention on long-r...read more

Risk assessment of munition compounds in the German North and Baltic Sea (CONMAR-Impact)

Contribution to the CONMAR Project (CONcepts for conventional MArine munition Remediation in the German North and Baltic Sea)

The German Environment Agency has conducted tests to determine the ecotoxicity of TNT and its metabolites 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT, as well as other munition compounds (1,3-DNB and 2,6-DNT) by using two marine diatom species (Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Skeletonema marinoi) in accordance with DIN EN ISO 10253 (2016) and derived effect concentrations on this basis. Environmental quality standards (EQ...read more