In the article "Lang lebe der Rohstoff" (available in German), Susanne Langsdorf provides an overview of Germany's use of raw materials, its dependence on sometimes problematic trading partners and what tools Germany has to reduce this.
A more sustainable use of resources is possible. There is a wide range of measures available to reduce consumption - but there is a lack of implementation.
Urban water management is facing new challenges due to climate change. Intensified precipitation is putting additional stress on stormwater systems, leading to increased flood risks, more frequent combined sewer overflows (CSOs), and resultant risks to public health and urban biodiversity. These topics are addressed in a new publication co-authored by Gregory Fuchs and McKenna Davis of Ecologic Institute entitled 'Sitting in our own soup? Combined sewers, climate change and nature-based solutions for urban water management in Berlin.'
Climate protection is losing political clout. The climate movement is no longer seen by many as a broader societal concern. There are many reasons for this. Strong polarization is one. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf discusses in the Tagesspiegel what could be done.
Recognizing the European Union's (EU) influential role in shaping NBS conceptualization, we undertook a qualitative content analysis of 38 EU policies to discern opportunities and limitations in implementing ponds and pondscapes as nature-based solutions (NBS). While our primary focus is on these aquatic habitats, their ubiquity and diverse benefits enable extrapolation to broader implications for NBS in the EU.
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), their metabolites, and transformation products often act as pollutants in the environment, impacting both human health and ecosystems. To tackle this issue, an efficient, long-term prevention strategy involves designing APIs with reduced environmental impact – greener APIs. This involves incorporating environmental parameters into the Research and Development (R&D) process. This article explores the feasibility of designing greener APIs, drawing insights from drug design experts in major research-based pharmaceutical companies.
The German climate debate currently seems to be stuck. It needs a push. Brakes need to be released. Whether and how this could be possible is discussed by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the Tagesspiegel.
This article illustrates the communication strategies that were successfully applied in the citizen science program Plastic Pirates in Germany. The program engages schoolchildren, teachers and youth groups in plastic pollution research. A variety of communication strategies have been implemented and continuously revised and adapted since the start of the program in 2016.
In this article, some of the several economic benefits entailed by digital solutions are estimated with a focus on leakage reduction in water distribution networks, reduction of combined sewer overflows and on the improvement of hydropower generation and operation. The benefits are calculated for each EU Member State and the UK, and then aggregated at the EU scale. Benefits were quantified in EUR 5.0, 0.14 and 1.7 billion per year (EUR 13.2 per person per year, on average), respectively, excluding environmental and social benefits, which may play a non-negligible role.
Politics needs polarization, but too much of it is problematic. The German climate debate has long been characterized by a healthy degree of polarization. At present, however, there is a danger of excessive polarization, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the Tagesspiegel. His OpEd discusses solutions.
Newly published research from SPRINT explores the extent to which public consultations likely contribute to democratic decision-making surrounding agricultural pesticide use. Through a critical discourse analysis of submissions to the public consultation concerning the European Union’s Farm to Fork Strategy, the authors, among them Ecologic Institute's Dr. Ana Frelih-Larsen, examine the role of public consultations as a democratic process and the extent to which their non-deliberative nature advances solutions to contentious and complex challenges.
The discussion on the certification of carbon removals seems technical, but it is one of the central debates in EU climate policy. It is primarily intended to pave the way for the integration of CO₂ removals into emissions trading. In doing so, the EU risks to build its most important climate policy instrument on sand, writes Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf of Ecologic Institute in the Tagesspiegel Background Energie & Klima. He makes suggestions how to mitigate this risk.
This article, co-authored by Mandy Hinzmann and Linda Mederake from Ecologic Institute, assesses the potential of the EU "Single-Use Plastics Directive" (SUPD) to reduce litter pollution in the environment with three scenarios. The scenario analysis revealed that the success the current SUPD can be an important first step, yet further legislative actions are needed to effectively prevent plastic waste pollution - bans alone are not sufficient. The success of the Directive is therefore highly dependent on implementation and enforcement.
What role do policies play in driving plant-based solutions for more sustainable food systems? In this article, Julia Jägle from Ecologic Institute explores policy strategies and approaches to foster plant-based solutions in Germany and offers an international comparison. She shows that Germany has potential for improvement and introduces political instruments to further promote plant-based food systems and diets.
The German CAP Strategic Plan has the potential for an ambitious CAP 2023 to 2027. While the debate on the next CAP post-2027 is already starting, in this article Aaron Scheid and Sophie Ittner from Ecologic Institute argue that the German government needs to exploit all potential in the current CAP to increase the ambition towards more climate change mitigation and the protection and enhancement of natural resources and biodiversity. The coalition agreement gives them the mandate to do so.