Publications

The report summarizes the current knowledge on antibiotic contaminations in soils. The study raises concerns regarding the contamination of manure, anaerobic digestate and sewage sludge with antibiotic mixtures and discusses their ecotoxicological effects and spread of antimicrobial resistance in soils.

Before introducing an emissions trading system, jurisdictions have to consider the ex-isting energy and climate policy framework. This report seeks to analyse and evaluate non-ETS climate policy instruments, such as carbon taxes or green certificate trading schemes, regarding their suitability to serve as a basis for establishing emission trading systems.

The report provides a quality-assured database for the technosphere compartment as part of the further development of the POP/dioxin database into a knowledge-based system that can be used as a flexible evaluation instrument.

This evaluation of air quality in Germany in the year 2018 is based on preliminary data which has not yet been conclusively audited from the air monitoring networks of the federal states and the UBA, valid on 18rd January 2019. Due to the comprehensive quality assurance within the monitoring networks, the final data will only be available in mid-2019.

Since the adoption of the 5th Assessment Report of the IPCC (AR5), there has been a growing discussion of methods for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) from the atmosphere. With CDR as a supplement to GHG-emission reductions it would be possible to stabilize the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere more quickly or perhaps even to reduce it.

In the light of the upcoming phase 4 of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS, 2021-2030), the Monitoring and Reporting Regulation and the Accreditation and Verification Regulation are currently under review.

Today more than 45 % of all energy-related CO2 emissions come from burning coal. Thus, reducing CO₂ emissions from coal use is a necessity for reaching the targets of the Paris Agreement. This will not only pose challenges for coal consumers (restructuring of the energy system), but also for countries whose economy is strongly depending on the production of coal.

The project had a twofold objective. First, it aimed to conduct a detailed analysis of the provisions related to market mechanisms of the Paris Agreement (Article 6), and to identify issues that should be taken into account when elaborating the rulebook for the Paris Agreement.

Urban Mining has been on everyone’s lips for some years, being the quasi-mining of raw materials in urban areas both in cities and communities. Urban Mining requires more and better guidelines and a far-sighted strategy for material flow management.

This report contains a summary of the international deep sea mining expert workshop „A benefit sharing mechanism appropriate for the Common Heritage of Mankind”.

The novel sewage sludge ordinance entered into force on 03/10/2017. Therefore for wastewater treatment plants with more than 100,000 respectively 50,000 populations equivalents the utilization of sewage sludge on soil is only possible until 2029 respectively 2032. Afterwards phosphorus recovery is mandatory for sludge with minimum 20 g phosphorus/ kg as well as for sewage sludge ashes.

With this strategic research agenda, UBA identifies future research priorities for the development of urban areas which are based on environmental quality goals. Interfaces between disciplines and knowledge gaps in environmentally-oriented, socially responsible and health-promoting urban development are identified.