Capital investments which target the energy, transport and building sectors can help to limit the rise in Earth’s temperatures to less than 2 degrees. A new UBA study proposes the criteria by which public financial institutions like development banks should proceed and identifies which projects should no longer be funded. read more
Guidance for climate-friendly investment
Shipping companies must report greenhouse gas emissions
In an initial step to reduce climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport, shipping companies must monitor and report their emissions starting 01.01.2018. The German Emissions Trading Authority at UBA (DEHSt) is the competent authority for emissions monitoring in Germany. read more
Accelerating the Resource Revolution – World Resources Forum 2017
Two years after two historic global agreements – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change – the World Resources Forum Association invites leaders from government, business, research and NGOs to Geneva to talk about how to accelerate the Resource Revolution. How should we manage, coordinate, finance, track progress, and communicate about it? read more
Federal employees continue to travel climate-friendly
Emission reduction credits (ERCs) from high-quality international climate change mitigation projects will continue to compensate the official travel by German federal employees. The Federal Government plans to purchase more than 235,000 ERCs which will then be cancelled. ERCs for emissions in 2015 were purchased earlier this year. The next compensation procedure for 2016 emissions will now follow. read more
Public health in the course of climate change: Master plan for heat waves
High temperatures and heat waves are adding up to public health problems – and the impact of climate change is becoming more noticeable also in Germany. The federal states and local authorities can draft and implement heat wave action plans to protect public health. The German Environment Agency (UBA) has developed a master plan in collaboration with many experts from various disciplines. read more
Emissions trading: Emissions reductions in Germany only minimal
The roughly 1,900 fixed installations participating in emissions trading in 2016 had emissions worth 453 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents, or 0.6 per cent less than in 2015. The lower emissions in the emissions trading sector thus did not offset the 3.8-per cent increase over 2015 in Germany’s transport sector emissions which the UBA had calculated in its short-term forecast. read more
Climate footprint 2016: Transport sector and cool weather cause spike in emissions
Nearly 4 million tons more greenhouse gases emissions than in 2015 – transport sector tops 1990 levels read more
"Wounds" have healed – Water quality of mine lakes has good status
Many mine lakes have the potential to develop very good water quality and they are often cleaner than natural lakes. However, lignite remains the dirtiest of all sources of energy. In 2014 alone lignite caused environmental damage in the amount of 16.8 billion euros. A phase-out of lignite-fired electricity is urgently needed. read more