Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Chemicals

Answers to frequently asked questions to Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)

In May 2013 the chemical hexabromocyclododecane, or HBCD, was identified as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) under the international Stockholm Convention. This means that a worldwide ban on the sale and application of the chemical will soon become effective. For a long time HBCD was the most economically significant flame retardant used in polystyrene foam for insulation materials. We have com...read more

Economy | Consumption

Step-by-Step Guide to Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Many smaller and medium-sized companies, like larger companies, are already engaging with social responsibility in their business practices. At the same time, they are being asked to live up to their social reponsibilities when it comes to their supply chains and are motivated to do so, as supply chains are the origin of a large share of environmental impacts. Supply chains also hold great potenti...read more

Chemicals

Considerations about the relationship of nanomaterial’s physical-chemical properties and aquatic toxicity for the purpose of grouping

Based on the variety of existing nanomaterials with numerous modifications, the effort of investigating environmental fate and effects will be tremendous. Hence, it will be necessary to group nanomaterials which feature similar environmental fate and effects.  Therefore, the project objective was to correlate physical-chemical data with ecotoxicological effects for selected nanomaterials and to de...read more

Climate | Energy, Transport

Climate Protection in Transport – Need for Action in the Wake of the Paris Climate Agreement

Report as part of the project Klimaschutzbeitrag des Verkehrs 2050 (Climate Change Mitigation in Transport until 2050)

Transport is not only an indispensable part of our daily lives, but also one of the major sources of greenhouse gases in Germany. What can be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the short- and mid-term? How can transport become greenhouse gas-neutral in the long term? Are Germany’s climate targets in the transport sector sufficiently ambitious? This paper answers these questi...read more

Chemicals

Use of PFOS in chromium plating – Characterisation of closed-loop systems, use of alternative substances

PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) is a persistent organic pollutant. Its use has been strictly restricted by the Stockholm Convention and EU POP Regulation. In the EU, the use of PFOS is still permitted for “non-decorative hard chromium (VI) plating in closed loop systems” in the plating industry, as a specific exemption. With the aim of minimizing PFOS-emissions into the environment, this proje...read more

Chemicals

Protecting the sources of our drinking water from mobile chemicals

A revised proposal for implementing criteria and an assessment procedure to identify Persistent, Mobile and Toxic (PMT) and very Persistent, very Mobile (vPvM) substances registered under REACH

Protecting the sources of our drinking water from any threats caused by chemicals is of the utmost importance. A strategy is needed in order to allow Europe’s chemical industry to continue to innovate while ensuring the protection of the water cycle. The German Environment Agency (UBA) is carrying out an initiative to identify those substances that are persistent (P) in the environment, mobile (M)...read more

Economy | Consumption

Guide on Green Public Procurement: Construction Machines

The procurement of low-noise and low-emission construction machines is to result in a reduction of the noise, exhaust gas and particle emissions.The guide itself contains the main information and recommendations which are relevant for the public procurement bodies for including environmental aspects in the tender and contractual documents. The tenderer questionnaire on green procurement of constru...read more

Climate | Energy

Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions

Viet Nam Country Report

The study analyses the country background, emissions trends, ongoing activities and barriers relating to the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Viet Nam under the UNFCCC. A special emphasis is laid on further mitigation potentials. Fields of mitigation assessed are efficiency, the setting of right incentives for the upscaled deployment of renewables and emissions red...read more