Publications

Plastics are important materials, and the demand for and the consumption of plastic has been increasing for years. When plastics enter the environment, they can cause great damage to both ecosystems and living organisms. Meanwhile, plastics is found in oceans, rivers, lakes, and soil.

With the demand for raw materials increasing worldwide and value chains spreading across different countries, international approaches can contribute to making mineral extraction adhere to environmental standards. This research report addresses how Germany can contribute, through international governance, to reduce the environmental impacts of mining activities outside its territory.

The empirical study examines the identification of the risks of money laundering in the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The transaction patterns identified and suspicious cases perceived give sufficient grounds for suspected money laundering of at least 300 cases within a trading year.

Next to properties like persistence and ecotoxicity, the determination of chemical substances to bioaccumulate in organisms is essential to understand potential harmful interactions with the environment. Existing methods to determine bioaccumulation are mainly addressing soluble organic chemicals.

Many environmental problems have been successfully resolved in recent decades. However some are persistent and prove difficult to solve, and new ones have been added. Environmental problems can be particularly persistent if their causes are closely linked to the way we do business, to central aspects of our society or to lifestyles that are perceived as attractive.

The subject of this project was the preparation of substance reports for the following compounds: dipropylene glycol mono n(t)-butyl ether (CAS No. 29911-28-2, 35884-42-5, 132739-31-2), 2-(2-hexyloxyethoxy)-ethanol (CAS No. 112-59-4), 1-propenylbenzene (CAS No. 637-50-3, 873-66-5), dipropylene glycol mono methyl ether acetate (CAS No. 88917-22-0) and hydroxyacetone (CAS No. 116-09-6).

This text summarises key findings of the German-language publication “Umweltdelikte 2016”. The publication provides a quantitative overview of the development and status of environmental crime in Germany between 2004 and 2016.

The aim of the study is to create a sound data basis for describing and assessing the phenomenon of obsolescence and the trends in achieved product lifespan and service life and, based on this, to develop strategies against obsolescence. The results show that electrical and electronic equipment is being replaced for many reasons.

Minimizing cumulative emissions is essential for reducing the risk of overshooting the warming limit of 1.5 degrees. This study commissioned by the German Environment Agency analyses the implications of this goal for the EU ETS and presents different scenarios for adjusting the linear reduction factor while staying within a cumulative emissions budget that is compatible with 1.5 degrees.

In previous investigations it was demonstrated that the tiered approach for groundwater risk assessment of plant protection products in Europe (FOCUS) also represents and covers German environmental conditions. However, since a new approach of endpoint selection for groundwater modelling in the EU was implemented 2015, a recalculation of the results is required.

The European scenario Hamburg used in the tiered approach for groundwater risk assessment of plant protection products in Europe (FOCUS) is evaluated to ascertain whether it also represents and covers German environmental conditions.

The tiered approach for groundwater risk assessment of plant protection products in Europe (FOCUS) is evaluated to ensure whether this approach also represents and covers German environmental conditions.