The project analyses the development of environmental crime in Germany between 2013 and 2024, based on data from the Police Crime Statistics (PKS) and the law enforcement statistics of the Federal Statistical Office. The analysis provides both an overview of long-term trends and an in-depth assessment of individual categories of environmental offences.

In 2024, the EU comprehensively revised its Environmental Crime Directive (ECD). This report analyses how the 'ecocide' regulation of the ECD could be transposed into German law.

The Ecologic Institute-led SCALE-UP project played a central role in the European Rural Circular Bioeconomy Conference (EuRCBC), held on 13 and 14 May 2025, at Comet Louise in Brussels. As a member of the Rural Bioeconomy Alliance, SCALE-UP – together with five other EU-funded projects – brought together stakeholders from local communities, policymaking, industry, and rural regions to explore concrete pathways for accelerating Europe's rural bioeconomy. Representatives from Ecologic Institute – Holger Gerdes, Zoritza Kiresiewa and Gerardo Anzaldúa – delivered insightful presentations and contributed to dynamic panel discussions.

Nature-based solutions, such as green spaces or river restoration, can make a valuable contribution to municipal climate adaptation. The new topic page 'Nature-based climate adaptation' on the Federal Environment Agency's website highlights different aspects of such approaches and offers municipalities targeted support in their planning and implementation. In addition to information on the legal framework and funding issues, it also contains practical examples and helpful publications. Ecologic Institute designed and implemented the content of the website on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency.

As part of the annual Marine Nature Conservation Colloquium, scientists from the research projects commissioned by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) present their interim results and open questions. On behalf of Ecologic Institute, Dr. Grit Martinez presented initial results from the research project The German North Sea and Baltic Sea over 100 years ago (HISTOMAR). The "Shifting Baseline Syndrome" was the focus of the presentation and the subsequent discussion.

This review explores the potential synergies between marine conservation and climate adaptation strategies, which are critical for addressing climate change impacts in European coastal and marine areas. The article, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, identifies and evaluates integrated approaches that support both marine ecosystem protection and climate adaptation.

Across Europe, cities are feeling the growing impact of climate change – from prolonged heatwaves to more frequent and severe flooding. For local planners and decision-makers, responding to these complex challenges often means navigating tough decisions with limited guidance. To bridge this gap, the REACHOUT project has developed two new explainer videos that bring climate service tools to life. These short, accessible films introduce the Triple-A Toolkit – a practical, science-based platform designed to support urban adaptation and resilience planning.

On 14 April 2025, 80 municipal representatives, researchers and urban planning experts came together to explore practical approaches to mitigating the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The workshop featured case studies from Athens, Milan, and Vienna, highlighting local adaptation strategies, analytical tools, and implementation mechanisms that support urban resilience.

A new paper by the Ecologic Institute and Oeko-Institut discusses how to design climate target for Member States. The paper explores seven options how to best design national climate targets for the time after 2030. This paper is available for download.

Current climate action is falling short of meeting global climate goals. To get back on track, action is needed at all levels. Place-based climate action – i.e. policies targeted or tailored to the circumstances of different places – can work with the grain of local markets, leverage the funding and powers of sub-national governments and mobilise local communities to deliver meaningful change. This paper, prepared by Anthony Cox (Senior Policy Advisor at Ecologic Institute), reviews the case for place-based climate policies and actions and outlines challenges and opportunities.

This report presents the conclusions of the study titled "Macro-economic / Top-down Assessment of Climate Impacts on the EU Economy." Commissioned to assist the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), the study explores how climate change-induced hazards may influence the EU's socio-economic landscape. Its central aim is to deliver both qualitative and quantitative perspectives on the broader macro-economic effects of significant climate hazards. It also investigates how these climate-related shocks ripple through different sectors of the economy. By compiling and analysing relevant data, the study provides a knowledge base to help the European Commission assess how such impacts could potentially challenge the EU’s ability to meet its climate mitigation objectives.

Ecologic Institute, in partnership with Ramboll and I4CE, continues its collaboration with the European Environment Agency in supporting the understanding of costs of climate impacts and climate adaptation. The overall aim of this study is to extract, complement and compile quantitative information on the economic costs and socio-economic impacts of climate adaptation versus costs of inaction in EU27 Member States. The work builds on previous work conducted by the consortium for the EEA which serves as the methodological foundation for this project.

A new analysis of 22 updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) shows that many EU Member States are falling short of the bloc’s 2030 climate targets. The study, led by Ecologic Institute in collaboration with the New Climate Institute and Reform Institute, identifies critical gaps in both ambition and implementation across key areas.

On 25 March 2025, Ecologic Institute hosted an online workshop as part of the EU-funded 3-CO project, bringing together 21 participants from across Europe to discuss how policy can better support social innovation. The discussion centered on key barriers and policy recommendations, grouped into two areas: financial & regulatory and collaboration & networking challenges.

Three years have already flown away, and it is time to look back at our achievements. The final conference of the NICHES project took place online on 24 March 2025. This one-day event provided an overview of the project's innovative work, focusing on the progress toward advancing nature-based transformations of urban water systems. Together with renowned international experts in panel discussions and keynote speeches, we discussed approaches to NBS implementation and governance.