How can European citizens become architects of the cities of tomorrow? The New European Bauhaus is an initiative to make our living spaces and experiences more beautiful, sustainable and inclusive. Nature-based solutions are seen as a key element to achieve this vision. To this end, the hybrid conference 'LIFE in the New European Bauhaus' was held from 15 until 17 November 2021. Sandra Naumann from the Ecologic Institute was invited as an expert to share insights from the H2020 INTERLACE project.

To continue the successful exchange on various aspects of Arctic marine conservation in November 2020, twenty international experts from research and policy came together again in a virtual meeting for the "Arctic Marine Conservation Dialogue" on 17 and 18 November 2021.

This infographic was created for the study "Nature-based Solutions and Global Climate Protection". It has been developed by Öko-Institut and Ecologic Institute on behalf of the German Environment Agency. It is based on Reise et al. (2022): Nature-based Solutions and global climate protection. Climate Change 01/2022. Dessau-Roßlau. You can download a print version of the infographic.

Regions play a central role in achieving the substantial acceleration of renewable energy deployment required to reach the 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets. The report "The socio-economic impacts of renewable energy in EU regions: Strengthening local benefits" examines the socio-economic effects of renewable energy deployment at the regional level in the EU and subsequently identifies factors that are conducive to an equitable energy transition. As part of the report, this case study by Ecologic Institute analyzes the role of renewable energy and its socio-economic imparts in the North German region Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The analysis was done for the the Greens/European Free Alliance.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are crucial for cities to jointly address the climate and biodiversity crises, while creating quality green jobs and wellbeing for local communities. This COP26 EU Side Event featured different sector practitioners (policy makers, entrepreneurs, international organizations) delivering inspiring presentations and engaging in a panel discussion highlighting a variety of perspectives on key challenges, opportunities, and pathways to mainstream urban NbS and boost local economies.

In this COP26 side event, we discussed priorities for the further development of long-term strategies, lessons from strategy formulation and implementation processes in the EU and ASEAN, and prospects for international cooperation. We draw on recent analyses by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), the German Development Institute (DIE / GDI), the EU, including the EU-funded Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI) study on the development of LTS in ASEAN and the Climate Recon 2050 platform (CR2050) experiences.

The INTERLACE project, coordinated by Ecologic Institute, has published the "Guidance on Gender, Cultural, and Ethical Considerations" to support inclusive, transparent, and fair stakeholder participation. The document provides practical recommendations and measurable indicators to help project partners integrate gender, cultural, and ethical considerations into their activities.

Are you interested in environmental issues or European policy? Would you like to understand what the European Green Deal is, and how will it impact our lives in the years to come? Then you have come to the right place. On the Green Deal – Big Deal website you can find all episodes of our podcast, our webinars and additional information about the European Green Deal.

The report "Intercomparison of Ecological Potential for Rivers" reviews and intercompares the methods used in European countries to define the ecological potential of river heavily modified water bodies. The report has been developed as part of an intercomparison exercise, which took place in the Water Framework Directive Common Implementation Strategy (WFD CIS) in 2019-2021. The report presents and summarises the information provided by European countries on the application of steps of CIS Guidance no. 37 "Steps for defining and assessing ecological potential for improving comparability of Heavily Modified Water Bodies" in the 3rd River Basin Management Plans.

Cleveringa, J., Kampa, E., 2021. Intercomparison of ecological potential for Transitional and Coastal waters (TraC). Amersfoort, Berlin: Arcadis, Ecologic Institute.

Wolfram, G., Konecny, R., Kampa, E., 2021. Intercomparison of ecological potential for Lakes and Reservoirs. Vienna, Berlin: Environment Agency, DWS Hydro-Ökologie, Ecologic Institute.

This report aims at 1) providing German and EU stakeholders and decision-makers with evidence-based material to inform Germany’s CAP strategic plan intervention logic, and 2) providing a reference point for the evaluation of the German government's own needs assessment in their CAP strategic plan.

In this review, Ecologic Institute's Doris Knoblauch and Linda Mederake analyse the subject focus of 45 articles (published 2019–2021), dealing with government action to regulate plastic pollution. Policies described in the articles and introduced between 2016 and 2021 are clustered in four categories: production – consumption – disposal – circular approaches. The article is open access and available for download.

According to a recent EEA report co-authored by Ecologic Institute, water stress has become a serious problem across Europe and climate change is likely to raise the challenge. The report "Water resources across Europe – confronting water stress: an updated assessment" calls for a shift from crisis management to risk management to prevent irreversible negative consequences for nature and society. The report emphasizes the need for greater water use efficiency and improved ecosystem resilience, as water resources become insufficient to meet the joint demand of humans and nature.

Piria, Raffaele 2021 : Critical Review of the IPHE Working Paper "Methodology for Determining the GHG Emissions Associated with the Production of Hydrogen". adelphi, Oeko-Institut, Berlin, October 2021.