Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Water

R&D-Project: Identification of Organic Compounds in the North and Baltic Seas

The aim of the project „Identification of Organic Pollutants in the North and Baltic Seas” was to identify and quantify toxic organic substances in the marine environment of the North Sea and Baltic Sea for which environmental data are either insufficient or not available. The selection of compounds is based on the lists of substances identified for priority action by the ⁠OSPAR⁠ and...read more

Waste | Resources, Soil | Land

Improvement of Raw Material Productivity and Resource Conservation

Subproject 1: Evaluation of Potentials, Proposals for Measures and Dialogue about Resource Conservation

The resource consumption of modern industrial societies is characterised by manifold new challenges. It can be considered as an assured state of the discussion that numerous negative environmental effects are connected with the amount of resource consumption. Against this background, the Federal Republic of Germany set itself the target to double resource productivity (in terms of raw material pro...read more

Climate | Energy, Air

National Inventory Report for the German Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990 - 2006

Submission under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2008

As a Party to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC), since 1994 Germany has been obliged to prepare, publish and regularly update national emission inventories of greenhouse gases. In February 2005, the Kyoto Protocol entered into force. As a result, for the first time ever the international community of nations is required to implement binding action objectives and instruments f...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Risk assessment for the Fildes Peninsula and Ardley Island, and development of management plans for their designation as Specially Protected or Specially Managed Areas

Fildes Peninsula, logistical centre of King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica), has an airport and a high density of research stations (Chilean stations “Profesor Julio Escudero” and “Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva”, Chinese „Great Wall Station“, Russian station „Bellingshausen“ and Uruguayan station “Base Científica Antártica Artigas”) and several field huts.read more

Chemicals, Economy | Consumption, Health

Brominated Flame Retardants: Guardian Angels with a Bad Streak?

Flame retardants delay the ignition of flammable materials such as plastic, textile and wood and retard the flame propagation. This either prevents a fire from breaking out in the first place, or gives people more time to escape. Materials treated with flame retardants will generally be destroyed in a full fledged fire, though. Numerous chemicals are used as flame retardants.read more

Climate | Energy

Progress of German climate change policies until 2020

"Report of the German Government for the assessment of projected progress in accordacne with the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol - reporting in compliance to article 3(2) EU Directive 280/2004"

The Federal Government was early in developing a comprehensive climate-protection strategy. By resolution of 13 June 1990, the "CO2-Reduction" Interministerial Working Group (IWG) was established, under the direction of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). This working group's tasks include developing guidelines for policies and actions relative t...read more

Waste | Resources, Soil | Land

Final Report: Resource consumption of Germany - indicators and definitions -

Translated version of the original final report in German "Ressourcenverbrauch von Deutschland - aktuelle Kennzahlen und Begriffsbestimmungen"

On the national German and European Union level, the topic resource use is of central importance in the context of sustainable development. The „sixth environmental action programme“ accepted in 2002 points out the priorities of the European Union environmental policy for a period of ten years (2002-2012). Priorities of the program are climate protection, biodiversity, natural resources and waste...read more