Publications

According to estimates of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), international aviation contributes about 3.5% to global warming.1 If growth in aviation volume continues at the same rate as in the 1990s, when international aviation grew 4% annually, the contribution of international aviation to the greenhouse effect could, already in 2010, be higher than Germany's contribution to

This study addresses the compatibility of the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) with obligations under world trade law as administered by the World Trade Organization (WTO). In particular we look at the instruments of German domestic and international energy policy.

In order to enable the conceivement and enforcement of efficient measures for environmental precaution and protection, it is necessary to undertake an environmental systems analysis. Against the background of this assumption, a concept for a federal ecosystem research program has been initiated by the Federal Ministry of the Interior in 1978.

Already in 1990 the German Government decided, as its contribution to the limitation of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% by 2005 – base year 1990 – and to limit or reduce other greenhouse gases.

This research will not be restricted solely to the biology and remediation of invasive species, but will also evaluate their adverse health effects and economic impact.

The model MONERIS (MOdelling Nutrient Emissions in RIver Systems) was developed and applied to estimate the nutrient emissions into river basins of Germany by point sources and various diffuse pathways. The model is based on data of river flow and water quality as well as a geographical information system (GIS), which includes digital maps and extensive statistical information.

Since pioneers such as John Snow and Robert Koch first established water as major route of disease transmission in the late 19th century, many countries have attained a high level of drinking-water safety.

This literature study, financed by the Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) of Germany, examines recent concepts on the bioavailability of contaminants in soil. It is focused on theoretical concepts and methods appropriate for identifying bioavailable fractions of contaminants.  

Unlike in other sectors, CO2 emissions from transport rose between 1990 and 2000 by more than 12%. The primary reason is the increased transport volume: between 1990 and 2000, the increase in freight transport alone was around 41%. During the same period, the increase in passenger transport, measured in passenger kilometres, was around 22% [VIZ, 2001/2002].

At the beginning of 2000, the World Trade Organization (WTO) commenced negotiations on the continuation of the liberalization process in international agricultural trade.

The German Bight is characterised by mean residence times of 33 days in the inner Bight and of 67 days in the larger German Bight area. The shallow Bight (mostly < 40 m depth) receives large amounts of nutrients from the rivers Elbe, Weser and Ems, from transboundary transports along with the coastal current and from the atmosphere.

The UN/ ECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) has over the years substantially contributed to the development of international environmental law and has created the essential framework for controlling and reducing the damage to human health and the environment caused by transboundary air pollution.