Achieving climate neutrality requires structural changes to our economic system, with solutions that work across sectors. Ecologic Institute has developed an assessment matrix based on net zero indicators that can measure climate neutrality, and proposes ways to integrate this framework into existing EU policy processes.

The aim of the SPRINT project (Sustainable Plant Protection Transition: A Global Health Approach) is to support the transition towards more sustainable plant protection. This relies on close interaction with stakeholders along the whole supply chain, civil society and regulatory bodies. The SPRINT Stakeholder Introductory event, co-organized by Ecologic Institute, took place on Tuesday 22nd June, 2021. With 117 participants and a lively discussion in breakout groups, the meeting was a great way to kick-off our exchanges with stakeholders.

A comparative study indicates that the collective memory of the 1872 storm is related to the background knowledge about floods, the damage extent, and the response to the storm. Flood marks and dikes help to remember the events. In general, coastal flood defence is to the largest degree implemented in the affected areas in Germany, followed by Denmark, and is almost absent in Sweden, corresponding to the extent of the collective memory of the 1872 storm. Within the affected countries, there is local variability of flood risk awareness associated with the collective memory of the storm.

On 9 June 2021, prominent heads of think tanks convened to discuss the recommendations made in the recently published book, "The Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice Around the World". Dr. Camilla Bausch reflected on key points from the contribution, she co-authored with R. Andreas Kraemer.

A breakfast briefing to launch the Think2030 paper 'European food and agriculture in a new paradigm: Can global challenges like climate change be addressed through a farm to fork approach?', co-written by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Ecologic Institute.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation, the book designer Gesine Grotrian and the Ecologic Institute as expert support have worked closely with young people to develop a book for people aged 12 and over that describes the history, production and risks of our plastic consumption in a straightforward, colourful and clearly understandable way. It also shows alternatives and ways out of dealing with plastic and its dangers. The book is available online.

Both Germany and Chile have decided to phase out coal – to slash greenhouse gas emissions and to modernise the power sector. In a new publication, Agora Energiewende compared the experiences of both countries to distill lessons for policymakers navigating the challenges of exiting coal in their own countries. Ecologic Institute contributed the case study on the German coal phase-out. It looked at the increasingly conflicted position of coal in the country's energy transition, the role of the coal commission and the process leading up to the coal phase-out decision. The analysis was done in support of the working group of the Chilean-German Energy Partnership.

This status report was prepared within the framework of the cross-cutting issue 1 "Analytics and reference materials" of the research focus Plastics in the Environment. It summarizes the contents of the project discussions and coordination within the cross-cutting issue. The organization of this ongoing process of development or elaboration has been supported by several events between 2018 and 2020.

Climate change, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are linked and interdependent challenges needing to be addressed in an integrated manner. Synergies can be enhanced by building on the multifunctionality and multiple benefits of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, captured under Nature-based Solutions (NbS). These topics were explored in the session "Nature as a solution: For resilience, mitigation and sustainable development" during the 5th European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA2021). Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis was a keynote speaker, presenting on the EU and global environmental policy landscapes and their role as a help or hindrance to NbS uptake.

The Conference on the Future of Europe is now in full swing. This political process could become a milestone in EU climate policy making – provided that its recommendations are specific and focus on the EU's ability to act, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the EU Observer. He makes three proposals how the conference could become a success for EU climate policies. The article is available online.

How can result-based payments be designed to support scaling up of agricultural practices that reduce emissions and deliver robust carbon removals?  A technical guidance for setting up such payments has been published by DG Climate Action. Ecologic Institute co-wrote the guidance with its partners IEEP and COWI.

Nature-based solutions have been gaining attention as effective solutions to address important global challenges. A virtual breakfast briefing was held on 18 May 2021 with around 140 participants to discuss these topics and launch the Think2030 paper 'Using nature-based solutions to foster synergies between biodiversity and climate: Missed chances and opportunities for a sustainable future', co-written by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Ecologic Institute.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted profound inequalities and vulnerabilities across the Global South, particularly in areas such as energy access, urban resilience, and environmental governance. Contributors to the IASS study analyzed challenges and potential pathways toward sustainable recovery, emphasizing the role of renewable energy, urban planning, and climate-smart economic strategies. The pandemic exposed systemic fragilities, demonstrating the urgent need for holistic, integrated approaches to development that address economic, environmental, and social dimensions simultaneously.

Focusing on urban and rural development at the regional and local level as key areas of application for climate services, the paper characterizes this valley of death and suggests options to bridge the gap. The authors, among them Ecologic Institute's Dr. Grit Martinez, suggest that reframing of the concept of climate services can help expand their applications and effectiveness, taking local non-climate challenges, opportunities and narratives into account.

The number of scientific climate advisory bodies is growing rapidly across European countries, including the establishment of one at the EU-level. Under the right conditions, such expert councils can help governments not only make the right climate policy decisions but also hold them accountable by boosting transparency and tracking the success (or failures) of national actions.