Publications

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.

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.

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.

European emissions trading (EU ETS) is a central component of German and European climate policy.

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 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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Digitalisation is becoming increasingly pervasive in almost all areas of life. However, its impact on natural resources and climate change needs to be better understood. The UBA research project ‘Digitalisation and resources (DigitalRessourcen)’ investigates these interrelations with the aim of identifying strategic levers for sustainable development.

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.