Biodiversity | Ecologic Institute: Science and Policy for a Sustainable World

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Project

International Development

Sustainability

International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)

September 2020 to August 2024

Cities and their peripheries are constantly confronted with challenges such as urban sprawl, climate change and pollution. These processes can exacerbate the degradation of natural ecosystems, and jeopardize ecosystem service provisioning with negative consequences for human health and well-being, biodiversity, social cohesion and equity, and, finally, city resilience. The INTERLACE project brings together a unique consortium of European and Latin American partners to contribute to effectively restoring and rehabilitating urban ecosystems to make cities more livable, resilient and inclusive. The project aims to advance knowledge and awareness of restorative nature-based solutions (NBS), such as the restoration of wetlands and rivers, as well as to foster more ecologically coherent and integrated city planning processes. In addition, it lays the foundation for sustained multi-directional cooperation and exchange between European and Latin American cities for wider transformative impact.Read more

Event

Visitors Program

Biodiversity

Cities

Addressing Climate Change in Cities: Berlin study tour for Polish NBS and local government experts

TimeLoc

25 August 2020 to 26 August 2020

Berlin

Germany

A group of polish local government experts, landscape planners, architects and engineers participated in a study tour on nature-based solutions in Berlin on 25 and 26 August 2020, which was part of the EUKI project "Climate NBS Poland". Nature-based solutions (NBS) can be implemented in urban settings to deliver a suite of services to address climate change, such as reduce demand for heating and cooling, stormwater management, microclimate regulation but also support human health and recreation. Thanks to their multi-functionality and sustainability NBS are increasingly applied as measures to address climate change in cities – in Berlin, a number of innovative NBS projects have been implemented in Berlin already since the 1990s to address such challenges.Read more

Publication

Book Section

Biodiversity

Coastal + Marine

Ecosystem-Based Management for More Effective and Equitable Marine Protected Areas

A Case Study on the Faial-Pico Channel Marine Protected Area, Azores

This chapter documents the application of EBM in the Faial-Pico Channel, a 240 km2 MPA in the Azores (Portugal), a case study in the AQUACROSS project. The authors applied EBM to see whether it can protect biodiversity whilst meeting diverse stakeholder and policy goals. This chapter documents the steps of Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM): identifying integrative policy and stakeholder objectives, understanding the social-ecological system, scenario development, and identification and evaluation of EBM measures and policies. The authors find that stakeholder co-creation and collaboration is a key strength of EBM and should be strengthened in the Faial-Pico Channel. Local stakeholders support effective and equitable EBM of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by clearly identifying challenges and priorities, co-creating solutions, providing low-cost knowledge and expertise, and through ongoing monitoring, enforcement, and evaluation of the impact of management.Read more

Project

Climate Change and Bioeconomy – Sustainability gap analysis for the agricultural sector

July 2020 to February 2021

This project seeks to bring available knowledge together on the future of the EU agricultural production, including on possible sustainability gaps in the form of food, water and energy security, land take and GHG emissions that need to be closed by 2050. The results contribute to a better understanding on how the agricultural sector can contribute to climate-change mitigation and biodiversity conservation, taking into account the growth potential of the bioeconomy and its impact on the environment.Read more

Publication

Report

Biodiversity

Climate

Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions

Analysis of EU-funded projects

The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to secure healthy, resilient, biodiversity-rich ecosystems that deliver the range of services essential to the prosperity and well-being of citizens. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are central to achieving the objectives of this strategy. Sandra Naumann and McKenna Davis from the Ecologic Institute have published a report outlining the contribution of over 30 EU-funded research and innovation projects to EU biodiversity, climate and other policy objectives and sustainable transition processes. Read more

Publication

Fish-friendly Innovative Technologies for Hydropower

Key outputs from the FIThydro project

The FIThydro Policy Brief presents summaries of selected key outputs from the FIThydro project, which are relevant for policy makers, managers and operators involved in the commissioning and operation of hydropower plants.Read more

Presentation

Food and Climate Protection

TimeLoc

18 May 2020

Germany

Stephanie Wunder

With more than 1500 participants in the live stream and via YouTube, the online webinar "Saving the climate with knife and fork? How our eating habits affect the environment" on 18 May 2020 was a complete success. Together, Tanja Dräger de Teran (WWF) and Stephanie Wunder (Ecologic Institute), highlighted the links between daily nutritional routines and their impact on climate, land use and health.

The event was organized in cooperation with the German Adult Education Association ("Volkshochschulen") and part of theRead more

News

Biodiversity

Cities

Fostering a Green Recovery through Nature-based Solutions

The importance of urban green areas has gained increasing attention in recent weeks, providing a welcome refuge to many city dwellers in light of COVID19-induced lockdowns. For those without private gardens, natural areas such as parks, urban forests or riverbanks offer critical opportunities for relaxing and being physically active. These and the wider metal and physical health benefits generated from spending time in publicly accessible natural areas are well documented, but have won new importance in this crisis. However, urban nature is more than just a city's parks and squares.

News

Lessons from the 2009 Economic Stimulus Programs – Analyses by Ecologic Institute

In 2009, many countries adopted economic stimulus programs to combat the economic crisis. The United Nations estimated that these programs totaled three trillion Dollar. The Ecologic Institute analyzed the environmental impacts of the 2009 economic stimulus programs in Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria, Slovenia, the USA, China, Japan, South Korea and the measures taken by the EU.

Publication

Mehr Aufmerksamkeit für gewässerökologische Maßnahmen

Umweltbundesamt startet Online-Informationsplattform zu Renaturierung von Fließgewässern

This article introduces the German Federal Environment Agency's online information platform on river restoration. It was designed, compiled and implemented between 2017 and 2020 by Ecologic Institute, Planungsbüro Zumbroich and IGF Jena. The information platform provides basic knowledge on the restoration of rivers and serves to gain acceptance for restoration measures. It addresses towns and municipalities, water management authorities, water bodies associations, fishing associations and citizens' groups.Read more