Publication:Article

Due to climate change, water retention in landscapes is gaining increasing relevance alongside flood protection. Various measures can improve the landscape water balance or enhance the resilience of land ecosystems against extreme weather events caused by floods and droughts. The authors have compiled a catalog of 69 measures in the UBA project WADKlim. These measures mostly originate from good practices in water management, agriculture, and forestry in Germany and have been evaluated based on their local impacts and implementation-relevant conditions.

Maßnahmen zur Erhöhung des Wasserrückhalts in der Landschaft

Year 2024

Publication:Article

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.

Lang lebe der Rohstoff!

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.

Year 2024

Publication:Article

screenshot article sitting in our own soup

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.'

Sitting in Our Own Soup? Combined sewers, climate change and nature-based solutions for urban water management in Berlin

Year 2024

Publication:Article

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.

Designing Greener Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

Insights from the pharmaceutical industry into drug discovery and development

Year 2024

Publication:Article

Screenshot of an online article titled "Climate Protection on the Defensive - What to Do?" with the word "OPINIONS" above the headline. Below the headline is a round, black-and-white portrait photo of Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf. Beneath the photo, his name is mentioned along with his position. The introductory text of the article discusses the loss of immediate political significance of climate protection and the reasons for the strong polarization in this area. The article was published on 12 January 2024.

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.

Klimaschutz in der Defensive – was tun?

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2024

Publication:Article

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.

Opportunities and Limitations for Nature-Based Solutions in EU Policies

Assessed with a focus on ponds and pondscapes

Year 2023

Publication:Article

Plastics Treaty Text Must Center Ecosystems

Letter in Science

Year 2023

Publication:Article

Screenshot of titel and teaser of the online article

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.

Der Klimaruck

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2023

Publication:Article

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.

Sharing Communication Insights of the Citizen Science Program Plastic Pirates

Best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research

Year 2023

Publication:Article

Cover of the scientific Water journal, issue 2023, 15.

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.

Digitalisation of the European Water Sector to Foster the Green and Digital Transitions

Year 2023

Publication:Article

screenshot of the online article's header

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.

Polarisierung in der richtigen Dosis

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2023

Publication:Article

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 Role of Public Consultations in Decision-making on Future Agricultural Pesticide Use

Insights from European Union's Farm to Fork Strategy public consultation

Year 2023

Publication:Article

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.

Emissionshandel droht mit Kohlenstoffzertifikaten auf Sand zu bauen

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2023

Publication:Article

Hinzmann Mederake EU single use plastics directive article

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 Potential Does the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive Have for Reducing Plastic Pollution at Coastlines and Riversides?

Year 2023

Publication:Article

First page of article Ernährungspolitische Strategien und Handlungsansätze zur Förderung pflanzenbasierter Ernährungsweisen in Deutschland by Julia Jägle

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.

Ernährungspolitische Strategien und Handlungsansätze zur Förderung pflanzenbasierter Ernährungsweisen in Deutschland

Year 2023

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