Microplastics can find their way into the environment via various pathways. It can also be detected in living organisms. But what dangers can microplastics pose? What effects does it have on animals and plants? And how can this risk be assessed? The results video of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment" was designed and produced by Ecologic Institute.
Most packaging for many consumer goods is thrown away after a very short period of use. In Germany, plastic packaging accounts for the largest share of plastic waste at almost 60%. How can the amount of packaging be reduced? Where exactly does the packaging waste occur? How can it be avoided and who should bear the main responsibility for it? The results video of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment" was conceived and produced by Ecologic Institute.
Germany is striving for a circular economy, which aims to use products, components and materials for as long as possible and to reuse, repair and recycle them as often as possible. In this way, raw materials are to be saved and the life cycle of products is to be designed in such a way that hardly any waste is generated. But how exactly can the circular economy be implemented for plastics? What contribution can recycling and biodegradability of plastics make to waste prevention? What is technically possible? And where are the limits? The results video of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment" was designed and produced by Ecologic Institute.
The two-year "Soil Mission Support: Towards a European Research and Innovation Roadmap for Soils and Land Management" project supported the European Union's A Soil Deal for Europe mission on soil health and nutrition and the European Green Deal to facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This animated video demonstrates the importance of healthy soils, the nature of "lighthouses" and where to find them, as well as their contributions to healthy soils. The video was created in cooperation between Ecologic Institute and INRAE.
This policy brief prepared by Dr. Ulf Stein and Benedict Bueb from Ecologic Institute together with other European experts was published by the European Commission. It provides an overview of current gaps in the EU legislative framework that hinder the realization of the benefits of digitalisation in the water sector and offers concrete recommendations on how to overcome them.
In the project "Mapping the adaptation frameworks regarding climate change adaptation indicators," Ramboll, Enerdata, and Ecologic Institute aim to support the EEA with its ongoing work on developing an adaptation indicators framework – linked to monitoring and reporting on adaptation, and that includes national and regional approaches. The specific objective is to produce an inventory of existing adaptation frameworks established at national (and sub-national) level which track and monitor adaptation actions, as well as to map indicators used in these frameworks for different sectors.
Unsustainable use of the oceans and their resources leads to severe problems, like depletion of fish stocks, biodiversity loss, habitat degradation and increased pollution, among other negative impacts. With a scoping study, awarded by the European Environment Agency (EEA), Ecologic Institute, together with Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), analyses the potential of the blue bioeconomy to become more sustainable by transforming to more sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
This open access book by Dr. Luana Martin-Russu of Ecologic Institute presents an actor-centered analysis on Europeanization based on the presumption that EU-driven reforms are strongly dependent on the actions and interests of the key domestic actors. It demonstrates that the European Union's policy of conditionality, however assertive or extensive, cannot guarantee compliance with its rules unless domestic political elites are committed to reform.
This webinar, co-hosted by Climate Analytics and Ecologic Institute, presented findings and recommendations for how the EU27 can transform its economy to fulfil the Paris Agreement 1.5 °C goal. The findings are based on a quantitative analysis of the latest evidence assessed by the IPCC, which had been used to develop 1.5 °C compatible pathways for the EU27 and selected Member States.
During this webinar, Ecologic Institute's Dr. Nico Stelljes presented the highlights and the findings of the project "Indicators of an Integrated German Marine Policy" and gave an overview of a possible set of indicators to assess an integrated maritime policy at a national level, with the scope to stimulate discussions on similarities and differences in the integrated approaches to the maritime economy in the Baltic Sea Region.
This international conference provides an opportunity to learn and exchange knowledge on the topic of microplastics in soils, and is aimed at scientists and decision-makers alike. The first day of the event focuses on the state of the science, the second day on identifying policy solutions and recommendations for action at the European and international level. This hybrid event took place on 19 and 20 October 2022 in Berlin (Germany). Ecologic Institute organised the conference as a hybrid event, which was attended by 60 people on site and up to 150 people online.
For the project "New Cooperation for Sustainable Landuse and Food Supply in Urban-Rural Areas (KOPOS)", Ecologic Institute designed a ten-part postcard series. The postcard series promotes the first two episodes of the four-part KOPOS podcast series "Ernährungswende – Regional gedacht". In it, the focus of the two model projects (1) regional nutrition in Freiburg and (2) access to farmland in Brandenburg are discussed. The postcards are designed according to the project's style guidelines and also include a QR code to the corresponding podcast episode.
Mandy Hinzmann and Doris Knoblauch (both Ecologic Institute) each accompanied a class in October 2022 with the Plastic Pirates, a Citizen Science campaign to collect data on (plastic) waste pollution in rivers. The students take on the role of scientists and collect, sort and catalogue litter according to scientific methods. The results are checked and incorporated into a large study.
Since we learned how to produce plastic, humans have manufactured more than 8.3 billion tons of it – most of which ended up as waste somewhere on the planet. This leads plastic waste to enter the landscape, rivers, beaches, and eventually ocean. We asked our listeners what, in their opinion, is the issue with plastic pollution. The answers ranged from negative impacts on human health and the environment to lack of recycling infrastructure and the global dimension of the plastics problem.
This webinar was jointly organised by the projects: INTERLACE, CONEXUS, REGREEN and CLEARING HOUSE as an official side-event of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2022. The webinar brought together about 500 representatives from cities, regions and local authorities, city network representatives, policy-makers, researcher, civil society and experts on nature-based solutions and urban ecosystem restoration from Europe, China and Latin America.