As a signatory to the Kyoto Agreement and the Geneva Convention on Air Pollution, the German government had committed itself to constantly improving the system for collecting its emissions data. The Federal Environment Agency therefore commissioned the IZT to systematically analyse the "emission declarations" available in Germany for 2004. For some years now, companies have had to list their pollutant emissions in the emission declarations. The sectors analysed in the project are stationary combustion engines, storage facilities for liquid and gaseous fuels, the production of asphalt mix and bitumen roofing membranes, the ceramics industry, the pulp and paper industry and rendering.

The main objectives of the research project were to examine the suitability in principle of the German emission declarations for the UBA's emissions reporting, to assess uncertainties and to make statements about the development of emission factors over time from 1990 to 2010.

The aim of the project was to improve the Federal Environment Agency's emissions inventory in order to eliminate inventory gaps and weaknesses. For this purpose, an evaluation of the emission declarations in accordance with the 11th BImSchV was carried out, which were available nationwide for 2004 for all installations requiring authorisation in the federal states.

The sectoral focus of the project was on stationary combustion engine systems requiring authorisation.

Furthermore, for selected pollutants, the emission behaviour of

  • Storage systems for liquid and gaseous fuels,
  • Systems for the production of bitumen roofing membranes,
  • Plants for the production of asphalt mix,
  • Plants for the manufacture of ceramic products,
  • Plants for the production of pulp, paper and printed products as well as
  • rendering plants

analysed.

In addition to the derivation of emission factors (quantity of pollutant emission per quantity of fuel used or per quantity of product) for 2004, some of which are specific to the technology and/or fuel, a central objective of the project was to examine the suitability in principle of emission declarations for use in the national emissions inventory, to assess uncertainties and to make statements on the development of emission factors over time from 1990 to 2010.

The following is background information:

As a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the Geneva Convention on Air Pollution (UNECE), Germany is obliged to compile, publish and regularly update emission inventories for air pollutants. In addition, the EU directive on emission ceilings (National Emission Ceiling, NEC, Directive 2001/81/EC) requires reliable forecast values in order to be able to check the effectiveness of measures to limit emissions. This results in extensive obligations for Germany in the preparation, reporting and review of emission inventories. In particular, there is an obligation to continuously improve the emission inventories. The aim of the emissions inventories is to continuously improve the quality criteria of completeness, transparency, consistency, comparability and accuracy.

More info