Berlin can look back on an eventful history of the New Social Movements. Numerous Berlin pioneering organizations from that time are still active: Kraut & Rüben, the Schokofabrik, Oktoberdruck, the Regenbogenfabrik and many more. At the same time, many new alternative-economy enterprises are currently emerging in Berlin - the city that is considered a melting pot of alternative economy. But what is new about today's ideas compared to the motives of over 40 years ago? What can those active today learn from the successes and failures of that time? What experiences can, and should they build on? And: What role do changed framework conditions play? What has become possible or impossible today compared to the past?

On the 4 April 2022 another online workshop on the socio-ecological transformation of the food system in Germany took place as part of the STErn project led by Ecologic Institute. The aim of the event was to discuss with 35 experts main behavioral drivers that are relevant for increasing diets that are more plant-based and declining the consumption of animal products. On this basis, policy options in Germany were evaluated and discussed.

At a lunch talk on Thursday, 24 March 2022, 2:00-3:00 p.m. (CET), one of the authors of the symposium, Sam Bookman from Harvard Law School, spoke about his latest research topic, "What happens when you win? The constitutional dimensions of rights-based climate litigation". With him, we drew the line and discussed the first insights of the symposium.

The German government has set itself major goals for the expansion of solar energy. One important force in this is citizen energy. Does the draft amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) meet the high expectations for an acceleration in tenant electricity, community self-consumption and renewable energy communities?

The 4i-TRACTION Community of Experts Coffee Hour format is one of the stakeholder engagement activities. This dynamic series of Coffee Hours addresses and engages members of the "Community of Experts", a select group of experts with different backgrounds on the "4Is" of the project: Innovation, investment, infrastructure and integration. Each session explored critical issues in EU climate and energy policies, fostering an open and insightful exchange under the Chatham house rule.

The purpose of this webinar series was to discuss the challenges that power grid operators and electricity producers face in Germany and the United States with a changing climate and policy and investment measures for adaptation and resilience. The goal was to share knowledge and best practices, foster transatlantic dialogue and connections, and think critically about how best to safeguard critical energy infrastructures. Day 2 (Monday, 13 December 2021) shifted the perspective to policy and discussed the role of policymakers and policy solutions to facilitate adaptation in the electricity sector.

The purpose of this webinar series was to discuss the challenges that power grid operators and electricity producers face in Germany and the United States with a changing climate and policy and investment measures for adaptation and resilience. The goal was to share knowledge and best practices, foster transatlantic dialogue and connections, and to think critically about how best to safeguard critical energy infrastructures. Day 1 (Thursday, 9 December 2021) focused on the risks that climate change poses to the electricity sector and best practices for adaptation and resilience.

The goal of the final workshop was to discuss options for action with representatives from the Berlin House of Representatives and various Senate administrations in order to jointly outline which measures and implementation steps would be effective.

The economies and populations that are the main contributors to the climate crisis are least affected by the consequences. People in the Global South are already exposed to drought, forest fires, flooding and water shortages. According to the UN, there were some 270 million migrants worldwide in 2020. Recent forecasts predict that the climate crisis will force up to 1.2 billion people to leave their home countries by 2050. On 1 December 2021; the issue of "Migration and Climate Crisis: Challenges and Perspectives" was discussed. The discussion based on inputs by Writer Parag Khanna and human rights and environmental activist Kumi Naidoo from South Africa. The full recording of the event is available online.

Berlin has set ambitious standards for the prevention of CO2 emissions, with significantly stricter targets in the new Climate Protection Act (EWG Bln). What are the targets and opportunities, and what are still the major challenges and barriers? In order to become climate-neutral, it is imperative that the building sector be given greater consideration. The Climate Protection Act and the Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Program (BEK) 2030 emphasize the exemplary role of the public sector in this area. This means that public buildings such as school buildings are a key factor. In the districts' renovation roadmaps, schools sometimes account for more than 80 percent of the buildings that need to be renovated for energy efficiency in the next few years.

As part of the STErn project led by Ecologic Institute, an online-workshop on the socio-ecological transformation of the food system in Germany with a focus on the protein transition took place on 30 November 2021 together with 35 experts in that field. The aim of the event was to discuss possible indicators that can help to politically anchor and monitor the necessary change in dietary patterns towards more plant-based and less animal-based proteins.

On the 25 November 2021, more than 70 actors dealing with food waste reduction in Germany met for an exchange on how to plan and implement measures that create an impact. The event was part of the so-called "Dialogue Forum Private Households" that is part of the German Strategy for Food Waste Reduction.

With the Fit for 55 package, the European Commission made far-reaching proposals in July 2021 to align the architecture of European climate policy with the goal of climate neutrality. These proposals include the strengthening of the existing emissions trading scheme, the introduction of new emissions trading for transport and buildings, a border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) to protect against carbon leakage and the tightening of regulatory instruments for transport and buildings. However, the proposals raise a number of questions – from distributional effects and acceptance to the consistency of the instruments. In the course of this two-day hybrid event, researchers from the Ariadne consortium discussed these issues with stakeholders and decision-makers at the European level.

In the coming years, the course must be set for the necessary transformation toward a society and economy that is in keeping with the needs for future generations. Science, and sustainability research in particular, has a responsibility to support this change with its resources. But what must science resemble in order to find practicable answers to the most urgent questions of the future? And what demands does this place on the research policy agenda? This event is part of the "Knowledge for Change" series of events celebrating Ecornet's 10th anniversary. Ten years ago, leading independent institutes of environmental and sustainability research in Germany joined forces to form the Ecological Research Network (Ecornet) in order to bring their combined knowledge to bear on the scientific landscape and society. With their practice-oriented, transdisciplinary research, the Ecornet institutes have been accompanying - and actively shaping - socio-ecological change for decades.