Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Economy | Consumption, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Shaping sustainable digitisation

A discussion paper from the German Environment Agency

Digitisation is not only transforming our society it is also having an impact on the environment: On the one hand, digitisation can improve the state of the environment for example through digitally optimised production processes. On the other hand, negative environmental rebound effects can arise, like a higher demand for internet-enabled products from which an increase in usage of resources and...read more

Climate | Energy

The European Commission’s Renovation Wave Initiative for the Building Sector

Discussion paper

In summer 2020, the European Commission launched the Renovation Wave Initiative as an important building block of the European Green Deal. The aim is to at least double the renovation rates of public and private buildings over the next ten years and to promote deeper renovations. Together with the decarbonization of heat supply, this should enable a significant reduction in direct greenhouse gas e...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Urban environmental protection international

Stock-taking and outlook

The aim of this study is to contribute to a learning process about innovative and successful approaches to overcoming problems and challenges of urban environmental protection. To this end, a detailed overview of the importance of environmental challenges, political priorities and successful solutions in selected countries and cities is given. Based on this, the study analyzes specific success fac...read more

Waste | Resources, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Options under International Law to Increase Resource Efficiency

Resource protection and resource efficiency are an ecological, economic and social necessity. Many resources are limited and under pressure from the rising world population, production methods, consumer behaviour and the high per capita resource consumption. Using more and more resources will exceed the limits of the earth’s ecological carrying capacity in the foreseeable future. This development...read more

WasserNachhaltigkeit | Strategien | Internationales

Marine Regions Forum

An international stakeholder forum to strengthen regional ocean governance

The marine environment, subject to multiple pressures, is transboundary by nature. For ocean management and conservation, there is a need of enhanced collaboration and cross-sectoral solutions. This project aimed to develop a participatory dialogue platform that strengthens cooperation within and between marine regions in line with the 2030 Agenda. The “Marine Regions Forum” brings together stakeh...read more

Economy | Consumption

Carbon Bubble – Analyses, economic risks, measures and instruments

Conditions for investment in climate protection are quite favorable. Nevertheless, financial resources continue to flow into fossil energy sources. This is accompanied by risks. To assess these risks, UBA has had a method developed which allows financial institutions to roughly estimate transitory climate risks. Simulating the economic development of certain key industries shows that climate risks...read more

Wirtschaft | Konsum

Environmental Due Diligence in EU Law

Considerations for Designing EU (Secondary) Legislation

The debate on sustainability related corporate due diligence obligations in global value chains has recently gained considerable momentum, in particular at EU level. However, so far, it has been dominated by the focus on human rights due diligence. By contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to the specifics of a stand-alone environmental due diligence obligation. This paper examines ho...read more

Water

Assessment of communication masking in Antarctic marine mammals by underwater sound from airguns

Marine mammals depend largely on their sense of hearing. Underwater noise can lead to acoustic masking of biologically important sounds. Marine airguns used for scientific studies of the seabed produce this type of sound. In this project, models were developed to assess the masking potential of airguns on blue whale, fin whale, killer whale and Weddell seal communication. The results of the models...read more