The third PMT Workshop entitled " Getting control of PMT and vPvM substances under REACH" took place as an online conference on the 25th and 26th of March 2021. It was organized by the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI).
PMT/vPvM substances are persistent and mobile in the aquatic environment. These intrinsic substance properties allow them to spread to the sources of our drinking water. Contamination can be irreparable as these substances remain in the environment and break through filters and survive drinking water treatment. Consequently, registrants under REACH must minimise any emissions into the environment.
The consequences of climate change pose economic risks for companies. A recent study by the German Environment Agency (UBA) shows that only about half of the DAX 30 companies report publicly on these risks. None of the 100 largest companies studied provides information on whether the corporate strategy is resilient to stronger climate change.
Germany emitted a total of 809.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2019. This is around 46 million tonnes or 5.4% less than in 2018, and 35.1% less compared to 1990, according to the results of calculations submitted by the German Environment Agency (UBA) to the European Commission.
Climate change will affect the frequency, intensity and regional occurrence of extreme weather events and lead to gradual climatic changes. Although impacts appear locally at first, they spread beyond political borders due to the global physical and economic interconnectedness. A new UBA report provides an overview of the potential impact chains of global climate change on the German economy.
Germany is set to launch the national emissions trading system for fuels on 1 January 2021. The trading system is intended to help reduce CO2 emissions in the heating and transport sectors. Until 2022, petrol, diesel, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas will initially be part of the national emissions trading system.
Greenhouse gases, nitrogen emissions and other environmental pollution cause damage to human health and destroy ecosystems. They also lead to production losses, crop losses and damage to buildings and infrastructure. For many of these damages, there are established scientific methods to express them in monetary terms.
The share of renewable energies in gross electricity consumption will be around 46 percent for the full year 2020 – a good four percentage points higher than the figure for the full year 2019 (42%). The increase was due to an increase in electricity generation from renewable sources of about five per cent, but also to a decrease in electricity consumption in the course of the coronavirus pandemic.
Nearly three quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle of a product are generated as early as the production stage, says a study for the German Environment Agency (UBA) which focuses on the greenhouse gas emissions of online retail (“Greening E-Commerce”). The study reports that the share of retail and transport accounts for only one to ten percent of total emissions.
A virtual journey to a high alpine glacier, rescued crockery, recyclable denim production or the revival of old variety vegetables – the winners of the German Federal Ecodesign Award look for solutions to a more sustainable lifestyle with pioneering projects that are both ecological and excellent in their design.
Particulate matter pollution in the early hours of New Year's Day is usually at some of the highest levels of the whole year, especially in metropolitan areas and cities – due to New Year's fireworks and emissions of particulate matter. It was previously assumed that 4,500 tonnes of particulate matter emitted by fireworks are to blame for the poor air quality.
The 11th edition of European Waste Reduction Week (EWWR) starts on Saturday 21 November. More than 1,000 actions all about waste reduction will take place throughout Germany until 29 November. This year's motto in Germany for the week is "Invisible Waste: Waste we don't see – look closely!"
