ALBERT

Description: The Science Platform at a glance In the new version of the German Sustainable Development Strategy, the Federal Government called on the scientific community to create a platform that is systematically involved in the steering, dialogue and implementation processes of the 2030 Agenda and its sustainability architecture. In response to this, the Science Platform Sustainability 2030 was launched on 8 May 2017 and was presented to the public one day later at the 13th BMBF Forum for Sustainability. The platform is supported by three organising institutions: the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Germany (SDSN Germany), the German Committee Future Earth (DKN Future Earth) and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), which houses the platform’s secretariat. A steering committee consisting of 26 members from science, the business community, and civil society is responsible for the platform’s activities and operative management. The committee also links the platform with other actors from science, politics, economics and civil society in an effort to build an effective, representative and internationally anchored platform. Additional support is provided by a circle of government agencies (open to all federal ministries) – currently including the BMBF, the BMUB, the BMZ, the BMEL and the Federal Chancellery.

Description: Green infrastructures play an essential role in urban planning, namely with their potential to reduce the impact from air pollution episodes together with extreme weather events. This chapter focuses on the assessment of green infrastructures’ benefits on current and future microclimate and air quality patterns in Porto’s urban area (Portugal). The effects of green infrastructures on flow dynamics are evaluated for the baseline scenarios by means of numerical and physical simulations, using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model VADIS and the wind tunnel of the University of Aveiro. The baseline morphological (BM) scenario focuses on the current morphological characteristics of Porto’s urban area, while a baseline green (BG) scenario comprises the replacement of built-up areas by green areas and parks. In addition, the benefits of green infrastructures on air quality are assessed for the baseline and under future climate scenarios. The air quality simulations focus on particulate matter, one of the most critical air pollutants with severe impacts on human health. For the BM scenario, the simulated concentrations are compared with hourly averaged PM10 concentrations measured during a weekday at the air quality station located within the study domain.

Description: The principles of responsibility and accountability have increasingly become a significant concept for the political capability to act independently and make decisions without superior authorization.

Description: Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is associated with negative human health effects, both for short-term peak concentrations and from long-term exposure to a wider range of NO2 concentrations. For the latter, the European Union has established an air quality limit value of 40 µg m−3 as an annual average. However, factors such as proximity and strength of local emissions, atmospheric chemistry and meteorological conditions means that there is substantial variation in the hourly NO2 concentrations contributing to an annual average concentration. The aim of this analysis was to quantify the nature of this variation at thousands of monitoring sites across Europe through the calculation of a standard set of chemical climatology statistics. Specifically, at each monitoring site that satisfied data capture criteria for inclusion in this analysis, annual NO2 concentrations, as well as the percentage contribution from each month, hour of the day, and hourly NO2 concentrations divided into 5 µg m−3 bins were calculated. Across Europe, 2010–2014 average annual NO2 concentrations (NO2AA) exceeded the annual NO2 limit value at 8 % of 〉 2500 monitoring sites. The application of this chemical climatology approach showed that sites with distinct monthly, hour of day, and hourly NO2 concentration bin contributions to NO2AA were not grouped in specific regions of Europe, and within relatively small geographic regions there were sites with similar NO2AA, but with differences in these contributions. Specifically, at sites with highest NO2AA, there were generally similar contributions from across the year, but there were also differences in the contribution of peak vs moderate hourly NO2 concentrations to NO2AA, and from different hours across the day. Trends between 2000 and 2014 for 259 sites indicate that, in general, the contribution to NO2AA from winter months has increased, as has the contribution from the rush-hour periods of the day, while the contribution from peak hourly NO2 concentrations has decreased. The variety of monthly, hour of day and hourly NO2 contribution bin contributions to NO2AA, across cities, countries and regions of Europe indicate that within relatively small geographic areas different interactions between emissions, atmospheric chemistry and meteorology produce variation in NO2AA and the conditions that produce it. Therefore, measures implemented to reduce NO2AA in one location may not be as effective in others. The development of strategies to reduce NO2AA for an area should consider i) the variation in monthly, hour of day and hourly NO2 concentration bin contributions to NO2AA within that area, and ii) how specific mitigation actions will affect variability in hourly NO2 concentrations.

Description: If the detrimental impacts of human-induced climate change continue to mount, technologies for geoengineering our climate – i.e. deliberate modifying of the Earth's climate system at a large scale – are likely to receive ever greater attention from countries and societies worldwide. Geoengineering technologies could have profound ramifications for our societies, and yet agreeing on an international governance framework in which even serious research into these planetary-altering technologies can take place presents an immense international political challenge. In this important book, a diverse collection of internationally respected scientists, philosophers, legal scholars, policymakers, and civil society representatives examine and reflect upon the global geoengineering debate they have helped shape. Opening with essays examining the historic origins of contemporary geoengineering ideas, the book goes on to explore varying perspectives from across the first decade of this global discourse since 2006. These essays methodically cover: the practical and ethical dilemmas geoengineering poses; the evolving geoengineering research agenda; the challenges geoengineering technologies present to current international legal and political frameworks; and differing perceptions of geoengineering from around the world. The book concludes with a series of forward looking essays, some drawing lessons from precedents for governing other global issues, others proposing how geoengineering technologies might be governed if/as they begin to emerge from the lab into the real world.

Description: Urban mobility is the main source of air pollution in Europe and accounts for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. In order to address this, a range of interventions and policies are being implemented across major European cities and studies in sustainable urban transport have proliferated. One such mitigation strategy involves redesigning urban form through 'hard' traffic policies, with a view of decreasing emission levels and therefore mitigating the effects of air pollution and climate change. However, efforts to assess public response to such interventions and the effectiveness of policy instruments in promoting sustainable travel in cities remain sparse. The city of Potsdam, Germany implemented a trial traffic measure aimed at reducing motorized traffic and promoting the use of bicycles and public transport systems. This study analysed data from 3553 survey participants who responded to a survey conducted prior to the implementation of the traffic measure. We aimed to identify mobility behaviours and underlying attitudes within the context of a 'hard' policy instrument, in order to obtain insight into the opportunities to more effectively define policy priorities that improve air quality and upscale climate mitigation. An exploratory cluster analysis identified four groups, characterised by mobility habits, their attitudes towards the measure, and general level of environmental concern. By identifying and understanding the differing attitudes and perceptions across population groups we are able to highlight group-specific barriers and opportunities, as well as potential transition pathways to encourage more sustainable transportation use. This study exemplifies how context can help to further shape mobility group typologies, identify policy-related priorities useful for decision-makers and assess the feasibility of policy instruments to facilitate a transformation towards more sustainable cities.

Description: Exceedances of the concentration limit value for ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at roadside sites are an issue in many cities throughout Europe. This is linked to the emissions of light duty diesel vehicles which have on-road emissions that are far greater than the regulatory standards. These exceedances have substantial implications for human health and economic loss. This study explores the possible gains in ambient air quality if light duty diesel vehicles were able to meet the regulatory standards (including both emissions standards from Europe and the United States). We use two independent methods: a measurement-based and a model-based method. The city of Berlin is used as a case study. The measurement-based method used data from 16 monitoring stations throughout the city of Berlin to estimate annual average reductions in roadside NO2 of 9.0 to 23 µg m-3 and in urban background NO2 concentrations of 1.2 to 2.7 µg m-3. These ranges account for differences in fleet composition assumptions, and the stringency of the regulatory standard. The model simulations showed reductions in urban background NO2 of 2.0 µg m-3, and at the scale of the greater Berlin area of 1.6 to 2.0 µg m-3 depending on the setup of the simulation and resolution of the model. Similar results were found for other European cities. The similarities in results using the measurement- and model-based methods support our ability to draw robust conclusions that are not dependent on the assumptions behind either methodology. The results show the significant potential for NO2 reductions if regulatory standards for light duty diesel vehicles were to be met under real-world operating conditions. Such reductions could help improve air quality by reducing NO2 exceedances in urban areas, but also have broader implications for improvements in human health and other benefits.

Description: 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 overall objective was to stimulate debate on the Common Heritage of Mankind and its benefit sharing element by discussing first ideas how the benefit sharing required by Article 140 paragraph 2 UNCLOS could be appropriately conceptualized in order to meet with the spirit and the requirements of the Common Heritage of Mankind principle. The participants discussed the legal framework of the common heritage of mankind, in particular its benefit sharing provision and the option of a full economic assessment of deep seabed mining operations.

Description: Der vorliegende Bericht reflektiert die Präsentationen und Diskussionen der Teilnehmer des internationalen Experten-Workshops „A benefit sharing mechanism appropriate for the Common Heritage of Mankind“. Das Umweltbundesamt in Kooperation mit dem Institut for Advanced Sustainability Studies führte den Workshop vom 26. bis 29. November 2018 in Potsdam durch. Übergeordnetes Ziel des Workshops war es, die Debatte darüber anzuregen wie das Gemeinsame Erbe und der im Seerechtsübereinkommen Artikel 140 Absatz 2 angelegte gerechte Vorteilsausgleich („benefit sharing“) angemessen konzeptioniert und umgesetzt werden kann.