Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Economy | Consumption, Waste | Resources

Ensuring a secure AND sustainable supply of critical raw materials

Recommendations on how to take forward the EU Commission's proposal for a Critical Raw Materials Act

With the overall objective of ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, the European Commission has proposed a new regulation, the Critical Raw Materials Act. This scientific opinion paper provides recommendations to EU policy makers on how to further develop this proposal from an environmental perspective.read more

Climate | Energy, Waste | Resources, Health, Transport, Soil | Land, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Protecting the Environment and Climate – Creating Living Space – Improving Quality of Life

We are facing an enormous challenge: the climate crisis and scarcity of resources require a consistent paradigm shift in housing construction and urban development. Quality of life, health and aesthetics must be combined with environmental, resource and climate protection. This position paper of the German Environment Agency and the Commission for Sustainable Building (KNBau) at the German Environ...read more

Air

Satellite-based Emission Verification

Pilot study

Satellites that measure the chemical composition of the atmosphere are becoming more accurate and numerous, providing a unique opportunity to independently monitor emissions for large geographical regions in a consistent way. This report elaborates the development of a software tool which is able to process satellite observation data and estimate NOx emissions from it for a pre-defined area. The t...read more

Climate | Energy

Commission Proposal for an EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework - Is the proposed delegation of power in line with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU?

In November 2022, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a regulation for a Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF).This proposal includes various provisions that would empower the Commission to adopt delegated acts. Delegated acts are intended to specify a number of provisions of the regulation.This report examines whether the proposed provisions on delegation are in line with A...read more

Water

Water Framework Directive - The Status of German Waters in 2021

Progress and Challenges

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) calls for the protection of surface and groundwater. For this purpose, the ten river basin communities in Germany draw up management plans and programmes of measures every six years. The German Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection have evaluated these reports and present the...read more

Climate | Energy

Submission under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol 2023

National Inventory Report for the German Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990 – 2021

As a Party to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (⁠UNFCCC⁠), since 1994 Germany has been obliged to prepare, publish and regularly update national emission inventories of greenhouse gases. Pursuant to Decision 24/CP.19, all Parties listed in ANNEX I of the ⁠UNFCCC⁠ are required to prepare and submit annual National Inventory Reports (NIRs) containing detailed and complete information o...read more

Climate | Energy

Addressing equity in the Global Stocktake

The principle of equity plays an important role in the Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement. This paper discusses several concepts of equity, which can guide the distribution of mitigation efforts, adaptation actions, and means of implementation and support, namely the concepts of responsibility, capabilities, egalitarianism and sufficientarianism. The application of one concept only may not...read more

Climate | Energy, Waste | Resources

Determining climate protection potentials in the circular economy for Germany and the EU / Partial Report EU

This partial report shows decision-makers and interested parties the potential of the circular economy for greenhouse gas reduction in 2017 and for 2030 for the EU and 2 clusters of selected member states considering the current legal framework. Municipal waste, food waste and roughly commercial waste and construction and demolition waste are considered using the life cycle assessment method. The...read more