Kemper, Melanie 2025: Verbreitung von Informations- und Lehrmaterialien für einen umweltbewussten Umgang mit Humanarzneimitteln - Konzept und Plan für eine Kampagne. Ecologic Institut, Berlin. Unpublished.
This report, commissioned by the German Environment Agency and co-authored by Ecologic Institute, contains a detailed assessment of ten crediting methodologies on climate-friendly soil management measures. These crediting methodologies are examples of result-based payment and offsetting approaches to fund enhanced carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural practices. Our evaluation of these certification methodologies covers key aspects, including emission quantification, baseline setting, additionality, risk management, environmental and social impacts, and governance. We find many weaknesses with the assessed methodologies.
Soils are vital for climate mitigation, storing substantial carbon. This report, co-authored by Ecologic Institute's Hugh McDonald, Aaron Scheid and Dr. Ana Frelih-Larsen, examines funding approaches to promote climate-friendly soil management in Europe, focusing on two models: action-based and result-based. Action-based funding supports specific activities but doesn't ensure measurable outcomes, while result-based funding ties payments to verified results, encouraging innovation but involving higher costs and monitoring. Result-based funding approaches can be challenging in the context of soil carbon, with offsetting approaches found to be particularly risky.
This project supports the German Environment Agency (UBA) in developing strategic options for the structural evolution of the EU ETS post-2030. Its results will feed into the European Commission's 2026 review of the ETS and inform Germany's position in upcoming negotiations on ETS reform.
The research project analyses the need for integrated strategies in order to ensure sustainable development and preserve the basis of life. The project focuses on analysing the challenges and interactions between the three crisis areas and the question of how measures can be designed to create synergies between climate protection, biodiversity conservation and the reduction of environmental pollution. More crises are being added, e.g. land degradation and food security.
Pharmaceuticals in the environment are a growing problem. The UBA Internet portal "Human Medicinal Products and the Environment" offers freely available, scientifically proven teaching materials for medical and pharmaceutical lecturers. With the basic set of slides and the accompanying texts, the topic can be taught comprehensively and practically despite tight curricula.
The Ecologic Institute is providing expert support for the transformation process for the future of Hamburg's agricultural sector – in close cooperation with the project team from urban catalyst and Prof Antje Stokman (HCU Hamburg). It is developing proposals for guidelines, goals, measures and indicators as a basis for the participatory strategy process.
The aim of this project is to prepare a report that will serve as the basis for the evaluation report on the Federal Action Plan on Nature-based Solution for Climate and Biodiversity (ANK) to be submitted by the Federal Government in 2025. In March 2023, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) published the Federal Action Plan on Nature-based Solution for Climate and Biodiversity (ANK) with the aim of significantly improving ecosystems in Germany. It specifically counteracts the dual crisis of global heating and biodiversity loss.
This project supported the European Environment Agency (EEA) in reviewing the EU's evolving competitiveness agenda through the lens of long-term sustainability transitions. The project explored how the EU’s competitiveness discourse engages with broader sustainability concerns, particularly in relation to industry transformation, circular economy and bioeconomy. It considers potential trade-offs between competitiveness and non-climate environmental goals such as biodiversity, ecosystems, and resource use. Based on this assessment, the project identified options for how sustainability could be anchored more firmly in, and aligned with, the EU competitiveness agenda.
On 10 December 2024, the Ecologic Institute and AquaEcology, on behalf of the German Environment Agency (UBA) under the MEER:STARK project, hosted a workshop exploring the critical role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in climate adaptation and marine resilience. The online event brought together leading experts to discuss innovative strategies, cutting-edge research, and cross-sectoral approaches for strengthening marine protection in the face of climate change.
From Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 December 2024, the Ariadne project will host a three-day event consisting of a series of workshops and discussion events. We look forward to seeing you there, and invite you to block these days in your agenda – and join us from 9-11 December in Brussels.
Kemper, Melanie; Christin Dammann; Johanna Henkel; Juliane Petri 2024: Kommunikation zur Umsetzung von Moorschutz in Brandenburg – Empfehlungen und Handreichungen. Ecologic Institut und Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege. Unpublished.
This new report from Ecologic Institute, PIK and IER discusses what EU industrial policy should look like, what principles it should follow and how it interacts with the set of existing EU climate and energy policies. The report proposes six principles for an EU industrial policy for climate action and discusses the 'industrial policy trilemma' of navigating goals in climate action, competitiveness, and security.
The fifth round of negotiations (#INC5) to agree on an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) to end plastic pollution took place from 25 November to 1 December in Busan, South Korea. Originally intended to be the last round of negotiations leading to a plastics treaty, UN member states failed to agree on such a treaty. Many stakeholders left disappointed, and both member states and observers will have to meet again at an INC5.2 in 2025 to continue their work to end plastic pollution.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) hold immense potential to address global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss – but how can ambitious goals finally be translated into action? This article provides valuable insights into 250 practical policy instruments from 41 countries that successfully promote NbS. For the first time, a systematic evaluation of good practice examples is presented, aimed at helping cities and communities implement NbS effectively. From innovative approaches to long-term sustainable solutions, the authors highlight how policy design around NbS can be optimized globally. The article provides concrete recommendations and inspiring success stories to advance the implementation of NbS in your region!