Publications

This report contains the scientific background to the review and revision of the empirical critical loads of nitrogen (CL_empN) that had been established for Europe in 2011 under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. This review uses for the first time gradient studies to evaluate and determine the Cl_empN.

On 15.12.2021, the European Commission announces to create a legal framework in a communication on "Sustainable carbon cycles" according to which procedures for natural carbon sequestration and technical CO2 extraction and storage can be certified. By the end of 2022, the European Commission wants to make a legislative proposal.

The following policy recommendations for the Federal Government will secure the supply of gas for the winter of 2022 and beyond, without sacrificing climate protection goals.

This short paper offers practical measures that could help to reduce the consumption of oil and gas as quickly as possible in order to secure the country’s energy supply, relieve the burden on consumers and at the same time contribute to combating climate change and enhancing sustainability.

The European CLP Regulation as well as the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) only provide criteria for aquatic toxicity with regard to environmental hazards. Legal requirements for the use of terrestrial toxicity data are missing, although data from substance regulations (pesticides, pharmaceuticals, biocides or REACH chemicals) are available.

Germany is an industrialised country with a strong production and export sector in the heart of Europe. However, German industry is dependent to varying degrees on imports of energy sources, raw materials and semi-finished products.

The research project explores how carbon market approaches under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement can contribute to the transformational change required by these global agreements. The project names insights and recommendations for how to design and implement Article 6 rules and activities to promote transformational change through carbon markets.

Endocrine active substances such as steroid hormones gain increasing focus in environmental research as they cause endocrine disruption in aquatic organisms exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations. Data about occurrence and fate of steroid hormones are scare.

Environmental research is detecting ever more pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment as analytical methods become increasingly sensitive. The physicochemical properties of some active substances suggest an accumulation in sediment, suspended matter and biota. Hence, these matrices could be interesting alternative matrices for monitoring of pharmaceutical residues in surface waters.

Nicht-chemische Methoden sind wichtige Werkzeuge zur gebotenen Reduzierung des Biozideinsatzes. Mit dem Projekt werden Maßnahmen zur Förderung von biozidfreien Alternativen beschrieben. Dazu gehören Konzepte für spezifische App-Entwicklungen, die Analyse bestehender Umweltlabel hinsichtlich ihrer Vergabekriterien mit Biozidbezug.

Trifluoroacetate (TFA) is a mobile and persistent substance that is primarily introduced into the water cycle through the degradation of various fluorochemicals and remains in the environment in the long term. TFA can be detected in many water bodies in relatively high concentrations with some regional hotspots.

The GLI:X Green Logistics Indicators project has been established over several stages since 2016. Together with the province of Gauteng in South Africa, the project has succeeded in developing an indicator system for the measurability of green, socially responsible, and efficient freight logistics in the province in a cooperative dialog-oriented process.