Ecologic Institut EU

Publication:Infographic
 
Infographic titled “Current model of material use and key policy actions to address structural barriers.” The graphic illustrates global material flows from sources and extraction through provisioning systems to disposal and sinks. It shows that material use has more than tripled over the past 50 years, exceeding 100 billion tonnes annually and potentially reaching 160 billion tonnes by 2060. Key policy actions such as circular economy solutions and sustainable consumption are highlighted.
This infographic presents the current model of material use and shows how extraction, production, consumption and disposal drive environmental pressures. It also outlines key policy actions to overcome structural barriers, reduce resource use and decouple human well-being from environmental harm. It is based on the report “Moving from Interconnected Crises to Systemic Solutions. Resource Efficiency, Nature-based Solutions, and Systemic Transformation as Responses to the Complexity of the Triple Planetary Crisis” and highlights concrete pathways for action. The infographic is also included in the accompanying fact sheet under the same title.

Current Model of Material Use & Key Policy Actions to Address Structural Barriers

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Publication:Infographic
 
Infographic titled “Impacts of the triple planetary crisis on human and ecosystem health.” It shows how climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution create cascading effects on ecosystems and human health, amplified by socio-economic inequalities, climate hazards, global interconnectedness, and pollutant interactions. The graphic links environmental pressures to impacts such as disease risks, ecosystem degradation, and reduced resilience.
This solution-oriented infographic showcases nature-based solutions (NbS) as systemic responses to the triple planetary crisis, illustrating how measures such as wetland restoration, mangrove protection or urban green infrastructure can simultaneously address climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, while delivering co-benefits for health, resilience and livelihoods.

Impacts of the Triple Planetary Crisis on Human and Ecosystem Health

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Publication:Infographic
 
Infographic depicting selected nature-based solutions
Nature-based solutions (NbS) can address multiple dimensions of the triple planetary crisis at once: climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, while delivering benefits for people and ecosystems. This infographic, visualises how NbS can function as systemic responses when designed and implemented under the right conditions. It illustrates how measures such as mangrove restoration, constructed wetlands, and urban green infrastructure can simultaneously contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation, strengthen biodiversity, and reduce pollution-related pressures. It also highlights the broader societal challenges that NbS can support, including water and food security, human health, risk reduction, and reversing environmental degradation.

Examples of nature-based solutions as systemic solutions for the triple planetary crisis

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Publication:Infographic
 
Infographic depicting drivers
Climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution are deeply interconnected and reinforce one another. This infographic, based on the report "The Interconnected Challenges of Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Environmental Pollution: Drivers, Interdependencies and Impacts of the Triple Planetary Crisis", illustrates the main human-driven causes of the triple planetary crisis and the feedback loops that intensify its impacts.

Drivers and Feedback Loops of the Triple Planetary Crisis

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Publication:Fact Sheet
 
The fact sheet explains why climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution must be understood as a systemically interconnected crisis driven by shared pressures such as resource use, land-use change and structural inequalities. It highlights how direct and indirect drivers interact across sectors and regions, creating reinforcing feedbacks and compounding risks for ecosystems and societies.

The Interconnected Challenges of Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Environmental Pollution

Fact sheet

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Publication:Report
 
Humanity has already exceeded six of the nine planetary boundaries, with climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution pushing the Earth system beyond its safe operating space. Because these boundaries interact through complex feedback loops, surpassing one accelerates pressures on the others, creating cascading effects that amplify environmental degradation. This interconnected dynamic is driving a systemic triple planetary crisis, or polycrisis, that undermines ecological resilience and threatens long-term human well-being. Addressing it requires integrated, cross-sectoral approaches that tackle shared drivers and deliver co-benefits across environmental and socio-economic domains.

Integrated Approaches to Addressing the Triple Planetary Crisis: Country Best Practices

Lessons learned from Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, Panama, Rwanda and Sweden

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Publication:Report
 
The study was commissioned by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) to support the German Federal Government in reporting on the Action Programme for Natural Climate Protection (ANK). Ecologic Institute led the project and was responsible for analysing the action areas peatlands, near-natural water regimes, marine and coastal ecosystems, wilderness and protected areas, forest ecosystems, research and capacity building, as well as cooperation within the EU and internationally.

Gutachten zur Umsetzung und Wirkungen von Fördermaßnahmen im ANK

Abschlussbericht

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Publication:Report
 
The triple planetary crisis is a systemic challenge, not three separate issues: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution reinforce one another through shared drivers and feedback, threatening planetary and human well-being. It is driven by fossil fuel dependence, unsustainable production and consumption, overexploitation of land and resources, and structural inequalities. The analysis concludes that the triple crisis can only be effectively addressed through systemic, cross-sectoral, and justice-oriented approaches. By linking resource governance, NbS, and transformative change, this report highlights how today’s triple crisis can be turned into an opportunity to regenerate ecosystems, reduce inequalities, and build resilient societies within planetary boundaries.

Moving from Interconnected Crises to Systemic Solutions

Resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and systemic transformation as responses to the complexity of the triple planetary crisis

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Publication:Fact Sheet
 
This fact sheet summarizes the information contained in the publication Burgos Cuevas et al. (2025): Moving from interconnected crises to systemic solutions. Resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and systemic transformation as responses to the complexity of the triple planetary crisis. Interim report, Climate Change 83/2025. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau. https://doi.org/10.60810/openumwelt-8108.

Moving from Interconnected Crises to Systemic Solutions

Resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and systemic transformation as responses to the complexity of the triple planetary crisis

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Publication:Report
 
This report, commissioned by the German Federal Agency (UBA), provides a systematic analysis of this triple planetary crisis. It demonstrates why climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution cannot be understood and tackled in siloes, but instead share common drivers, feedback mechanisms, and cascading effects. The aim of the report is to close knowledge gaps and provide political and scientific actors with an integrated, holistic understanding.

The Interconnected Challenges of Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Environmental Pollution

Drivers, Interdependencies and Impacts of the Triple Planetary Crisis

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Publication:Report
 
Climate change is exacerbating drought, low water levels, and heavy rainfall in German river basins, posing new challenges for agriculture, forestry, water management, ecosystems, and municipal planning. Against this backdrop, the project KliMaWerk investigated how the landscape water balance can be made climate-resilient through integrated, practical strategies and measures. The KliMaWerk final report summarises the key findings and strategic conclusions.

Nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung des Landschaftswasserhaushaltes zur Erhöhung der Klimaresilienz (KliMaWerk)

Management und Werkzeuge

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Publication:Fact Sheet
 
Nature-based solutions are central to climate change adaptation. Urban green spaces and waterbodies can reduce heat in cities, for example. How can local authorities implement such measures despite limited resources? This paper presents financing options based on practical examples – from crowdfunding to green bonds – and assesses which ones are suitable and when. It also provides recommendations on how the federal and state governments can provide support.

Jenseits öffentlicher Gelder: Wie Kommunen naturbasierte Lösungen für die Klimaanpassung finanzieren können

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Publication:Report
 
This report highlights the persistent exclusion of commonly excluded stakeholders (CES) – such as marginalised communities, migrants, Indigenous peoples, youth, older adults, and those facing socio-economic vulnerabilities – from the co-creation of nature-based solutions (NbS). Inclusivity is shown to be essential for NbS to be legitimate, effective, and sustainable, yet CES often remain sidelined due to power asymmetries, structural disadvantages, rigid project cycles, and a lack of trust.

Co-creating Nature-based Solutions with Commonly Excluded Stakeholders

Insights from practice and research

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