Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Economy | Consumption

Policy Relevant Sustainability Research

Requirements Profiles for Research Funding Agencies, Researchers and Policymakers Regarding Improving and Ensuring Quality of Research - A Guide

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“Sustainability Research” or “Sustainability Science” has become a common term, one found in the names of research programs, research institutions and specialist journals. But just like the term “sustainability” itself, “sustainability research” is not clearly defined. One finds included under it activities as diverse as, among others, investigating arctic ice cores for understanding climate chang...read more

Chemicals

Characterisation of leaching of biocidal active substances of main group 2 "preservatives" from different materials under weathering conditions

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Materials that are used outdoors can be preserved by biocides to prevent disturbance by organisms, mainly colonisation by microorganisms. These applications may cause emissions of active substances into environmental compartments via leaching processes. The European Biocidal Products Directive 98/8/EC (BPD) requires an assessment of environmental risks caused by the use of biocidal products. This...read more

Climate | Energy

EU Emissions Trading: The Need for Cap Adjustment in Response to External Shocks and Unexpected Developments?

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The effectiveness of an emissions trading system in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions is mainly due to the magnitude of the specified emission cap. Assuming sufficient control, a quantitative emission target defined in such a way is quasi automatically achieved by the limited allocation of emission allowances. In functioning markets, this coincides with a somewhat higher allowance price a...read more

Transport

EU policies to address maritime GHG emissions

Analysis of the impacts on GHG emissions

Discussion Paper

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The EU Commission committed itself to include emissions from shipping into the existing EU reduction commitment if no international agreement was achieved on a global level. To this aim the EU COM considered four regional policy options in an impact assessment (2011). In this discussion paper the impact of these policy options on GHG emissions has been analysed, concluding that a carefully designe...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Follow-up to the training session on evaluation of safety reports and joint inspection for Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents

Advisory Assistance Programme for Environmental Protection in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia

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In the follow-up to a training session in February 2009, a project was designed that has provided Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with support to improve the knowledge of their public experts in the areas of safety reporting, and in particular on:The validation of the content of the safety reports;The methodologies applied in these reports, in particular for:Selection...read more

Climate | Energy, Economy | Consumption

Timely replacement of a notebook under consideration of environmental aspects

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The production of notebooks induces significant environmental impacts. However, these impacts are seldom considered by consumers in their purchasing decisions. Against this background, the Federal Agency of Environment in Germany commissioned the Öko-Institut e.V. and the Fraunhofer IZM with a study to address following questions.read more

Climate | Energy

Risk-analysis of global climate tipping points

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Von vielen Elementen des Erdsystems wird erwartet, dass sie sich mit zunehmender globaler Erwärmung stetig verändern. Diese graduellen Veränderungen könnten sich als reversibel erweisen, wenn die globale Erwärmung zurückgehen sollte. Andere Elemente des Klimasystems hingegen könnten ein Kippverhalten zeigen, bei dem relativ kleine Störungen des Hintergrundklimas ausreichen, um einen (abrupten) Wec...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Rio+20: Financial Resources for Improved International Environmental Governance

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In the run-up to the Rio+20 summit, which takes place in June 2012, this study investigates the current system for financing international environmental governance (IEG). The current architecture for IEG finance consists of a growing number of bilateral and multilateral actors, funds and financial mechanisms which leads to incoherence, inefficiencies and extra burdens on recipient countries. The r...read more