On 9 and 10 April 2019, the status conference of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) took place in the Kalkscheune in Berlin. The coordinators of the 20 joint projects funded within the research focus presented their projects and explained first results as well as challenges of their projects. The conference proceedings, presenting the joint projects and cross-cutting topics, are available for download.

The use of the term "driving ban" can give the impression of a general and comprehensive ban on driving. In this sense, it means, rather, a ban on mobility. The term thus does not only suggest a banishment, but also an interference in the personal freedom of all drivers, not only of diesel drivers. "Traffic restrictions" is the more precise term with respect to the content. Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Head of International and European Governance, and Katharina Umpfenbach, Coordinator Energy of the Ecologic Institute, discuss this in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The article is available online.

How is a topic such as microplastics socially problematised? How can consumers use plastics more sustainably? And what role do the interests and perceptions of different actors play in international plastics regulation? These and other questions are posed by social scientists in a number of joint research projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment". In this poster series, social science research from ten joint research projects is presented and first interim results are briefly and concisely summarised.

This infographic illustrates the research objects of the joint research projects with a social science component in the research focus "Plastics in the Environment" along the value chain and with a view to the addressed societal sectors. In addition, the graph indicates the target groups to which the project results are directed and whether these are mainly options for action or risk assessments.

What role can nature-based solutions (NBS) play in climate change adaptation and mitigation? How can NBS be applied in order to achieve integrated risk management and resilience? These questions were addressed at the 'Paris Forum on NBS'. Sandra Naumann, Senior Researcher at Ecologic Institute, presented in the plenary session insights from city initiatives in Europe to demonstrate the potential of nature-based solution and to highlight remaining challenges needing to be addressed.

Ecologic Institute designed a programme flyer as part of the visual identity for the project "Plastic in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions." The programme flyer was developed and designed to provide relevant content on conference context, agenda, and the venue in a concerted way to participants.

Air pollution is becoming a pressing issue, especially in Vietnam's bigger cities. The Ecologic Institute supports the Vietnamese government in its current revision of the Law on Environmental Protection by researching international experience and providing tailored solutions for the Vietnamese context.

The bioeconomy carries the promise to offer important opportunities for rural employment and regional added value. The transition towards a more efficient and fossil-free economy should actively involve a broad spectrum of stakeholders and citizens in order to provide them with the opportunity to participate as co-creators in the design of regional strategies and to promote a sustainable use of agricultural, forest and marine ecosystems. Building on this idea, the overall goal of BE-Rural is to explore the potential of regional and local bio-based economies by supporting relevant actors in the participatory development of bioeconomy strategies, roadmaps and business models. The project will focus on regions in five modest and moderate innovator countries: Latvia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

This assessment system is the first of its kind with an integrated approach to assess sustainability and the transformative potential of civil society initiatives.

How can the recycling of construction materials in Germany be further expanded and professionalised? What needs to be changed so that more high-quality recycled construction materials can be used, especially in high-rise construction? The stakeholder analysis by Ecologic Institute focuses on these questions. Based on interviews with actors in the construction industry, concrete proposals for measures will be presented.

As part of the EU H2020 RURECO project, Dr. Josselin Rouillard carried out a one-month research exchange with the University of Davis, California focusing on sustainable groundwater management in Europe, France and California. Seminars with academic staff at UC Davis and Stanford University were organised comparing European and Californian strategies for sustainable groundwater management. Workshops and meetings were organised with the State Water Resource Control Board and nine groundwater sustainable agencies across the state of California. The blogpost is linked in the article.

On 19 March 2019, Cairo Climate Talks brought together experts from all disciplines to discuss the results of COP24 and the needed action for COP25. Climate negotiators, climate science experts, and policy makers shared their valuable insights. Arne Riedel, Fellow at Ecologic Institute in Berlin and member of the German delegation to the UN climate negotiations took place on the panel discussion.

Public campaigns and other policy instruments can significantly influence consumer behaviour and contribute to a reduction of consumer food waste. However, there are only very few studies that have evaluated to what extent policy interventions actually reduced or prevented food waste. In this REFRESH Policy brief Ecologic Institute's Stephanie Wunder summarises REFRESH findings on consumer behaviour as well as related research results and derives policy recommendations to reduce consumer food waste.

This analysis considers options for the global post-2020 chemicals and waste regime. It has been prepared with a view to the intersessional process underway concerning the future of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) after 2020, as well as the recently launched Alliance for High Ambition on Chemicals and Waste and the parallel explorations concerning global arrangements to address plastic pollution and highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs). These issues overlap and will need to be considered for the post-2020 chemicals and waste management regime. The analysis is available for download.

In January 2019, Germany made a big step towards a coal phase-out: A stakeholder commission established by the federal government agreed on a schedule for plant retirement and on measures to support coal regions. For experts and journalists seeking to understand the context of the phase-out decision, scientists from the German Institute for Economic Research, Ecologic Institute, and the Wuppertal Institute have developed a comprehensive reader detailing what is at stake. The publication explains why the phase-out is needed and how it can become a success.