Publications

Environmental protection has developed into an important factor in the German economy. This can be seen from the development of the environmental economy, a cross-sectoral industry comprising all businesses that supply environmental goods and services.

We are all aware of the importance of climate protection. We are also aware that time is running out. What is needed is the creation of a climate-neutral society where the amount of CO₂ and other climate-damaging gases released into the environment does not cause further damage. We must start now and make essential elements of a climate-neutral lifestyle part of our daily lives.

In the national assessment for authorisation in Germany the leaching behaviour of a plant protection product is determined in a stepwise procedure in accordance with FOCUS groundwater report (2009). The recommendations given in this paper here are related to tier 1 and tier 2, only.

Apart from the requirements traditionally defined in the building legislation the European Construction Products Directive (CPD) explicitly demands construction works to be built with construction products that meet the requirements on hygiene, health and environment in force in their place of use and not to endanger the health of the occupants and neighbours.

The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) intends to enable farmers to engage in multifunctional production by providing incentives or compensating farmers for measures and public goods not sufficiently remunerated by the markets but for which there is a societal demand.

The buildings sector accounts for about 40% of final energy consumption in Germany, and by far the largest part of this is due to old buildings. In total, more than 80% of the final energy consumed in households is used for space heating and hot water (Federal Statistical Office 2010).

Lake Tegel and Schlachtensee in Berlin show a uniquely pronounced trophic recovery in response to an abrupt and drastic (40- to 100-fold) reduction of their external phosphorus (P) load through P-stripping at their main inflow which exchanges the lake water volume about 5 times per year for Lake Tegel and about 1.5 times for Schlachtensee.

A discussion paper about whether the shift in re-sponsibility from emitters or investors to host country government would limit or even elimi-nate emitters’ incentives to engage in seeking cost-effective mitigation options and if so, by which means such outcome could be avoided or limited.

In this issue:

• Strategies for more environmental justice
• Berlin pilot project on environmental justice
• Research and activities from Germany and Switzerland

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.

This study by the Federal Environment Agency investigates the role of sinks and emissions from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) within existing and planned emissions trading systems. The harmonization of standards is an important aspect so that regional emission trading schemes form an effective and efficient international carbon market.

Fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) are 100 to 24,000 times more harmful to the climate than CO2. The contribution of fluorinated greenhouse gases to global warming is projected to triple from nearly 2% to around 6% of total greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050.