This article, co-authored by Mandy Hinzmann and Linda Mederake from Ecologic Institute, assesses the potential of the EU "Single-Use Plastics Directive" (SUPD) to reduce litter pollution in the environment with three scenarios. The scenario analysis revealed that the success the current SUPD can be an important first step, yet further legislative actions are needed to effectively prevent plastic waste pollution - bans alone are not sufficient. The success of the Directive is therefore highly dependent on implementation and enforcement.

Financing has been identified as a key barrier that limits the upscaling of nature-based solutions (NBS), including pondscapes. This report aims to address this challenge by supporting pondscape developers to answer a simple question: how can I pay for my pondscape project?

This report is the final report on seven national case studies (NCS) performed in the 4i-TRACTION project. It presents outcomes of the analysis carried out in task 2.3 'Evaluation of 4i dimensions at the national level – case-study analysis'.

This case study shows that to achieve the digitalization of our energy systems and reach climate neutrality by 2050, policymakers must take a truly transformative approach and simultaneously address the core challenges of innovation, infrastructure, integration, and social acceptance. Future research should also include investment needs and the costs that relate to a smart meter rollout, e.g. the digitalization of our energy networks and the extension of supporting infrastructures.

In the latest "Green Deal – Big Deal?" podcast episode, the hosts Ewa Iwaszuk and Aaron Best from Ecologic Institute speak with interview guests Margherita Tolotto (Senior Policy Officer for Air and Noise at the European Environmental Bureau) and Agnieszka Warso-Buchanan (Senior Lawyer in ClientEarth). They discuss the problem of air pollution, the important role that lawsuits have played in forcing action, the current effort to bring the law in line with the science – and what citizens can do to have their voices heard in this debate.

What does EU climate policy need to look like to achieve the transformation to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050? Tune into our podcast and learn about the four essential cross-cutting challenges on this path.

On 29 March 2023, Doris Knoblauch and Mandy Hinzmann gave a lecture on "Plastics and the Environment" in a postgraduate course, where 19 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and industry from low-income countries and emerging economies were represented and exchanged. The focus was on reducing plastics in the environment, on different responsibilities and concerns from a global perspective on the one hand, and on the textile sector on the other hand.

The German CAP Strategic Plan has the potential for an ambitious CAP 2023 to 2027. While the debate on the next CAP post-2027 is already starting, in this article Aaron Scheid and Sophie Ittner from Ecologic Institute argue that the German government needs to exploit all potential in the current CAP to increase the ambition towards more climate change mitigation and the protection and enhancement of natural resources and biodiversity. The coalition agreement gives them the mandate to do so.

Carbon farming promises to mitigate climate change whilst generating income for farmers – but can this promise be realised, and what are the risks? The European Parliament’s Environment and Agricultural Committees held a joint hearing to understand how EU policy can support on-farm carbon sequestration. The hearing featured two panels, including a presentation from Ecologic Institute Fellow Hugh McDonald on the challenges of carbon farming certification.

Alongside Anne Siemons (Oeko-Institut), Hugh McDonald critically presented a soil-focussed assessment of the EU Commission's recently proposed Framework for Carbon Removals Certification.

McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, was one of 8 experts speaking on the topic of 'strategies for urban biodiversity' during the Digital Blue Green Event hosted by the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute on 14 March 2023. She began by outlining key challenges facing urban water management, including an increasing frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events, urban surface sealing and combined sewer overflow events. McKenna then introduced the NICHES project and its aim to rethink the status quo by deploying nature-based solutions and approaching the urban water system as a holistic Social-Ecological-Technical-System (SETS).

This infographic shows, color-coded for the three developmental stages of domestic fish, body proportion-based bar spacing of rakes that can prevent fish from swimming into the high-risk areas.

The EU Commission is planning an initiative on tackling the issue of non-intentional inputs of microplastics into the environment. The areas of textile fibres, tire abrasion, and pellet loss are specifically discussed at the EU level as part of the initiative.

Drawing on results from several interdisciplinary research projects funded under the German research focus "Plastics in the Environment", Linda Mederake (Ecologic Institute) shared insights regarding the patterns of societal perception and behavior in dealing with (micro)plastics as well as the scope for action of different actors to reduce (micro)plastic emissions into the environment.