English

Event:Workshop
 
The adoption of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) marks a turning point in European biodiversity policy. To meet its binding targets, all Member States must prepare National Restoration Plans (NRPs) by 2026 – with a dedicated focus on cross-border cooperation. Against this backdrop, the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), the Alpine Convention, and Ecologic Institute convened the international online workshop "Synergies for Nature Restoration in the Alpine Region" on 4 September 2025.

Enhancing Synergies in Alpine Nature Restoration Planning


online

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Event:Digital Event
 
On 3 September 2025, the European Climate Neutrality Observatory presented their latest findings on EU's progress toward climate neutrality and discussed the ensuing recommendations with high-profile EU policy stakeholders, including members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the business community.

Tracking the Transition to a Clean, Competitive and Fair EU Future

Launch of the 3rd Assessment by the European Climate Neutrality Observatory


online

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Publication:Report
 
Cover page of the "2025 Flagship Report: State of EU progress to climate neutrality" by the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO). The image shows a panoramic view of a green urban park with various climate-related icons overlayed, and a city skyline in the background. The title highlights the report’s focus on indicator-based assessment across 13 building blocks for a climate-neutral future. Dated September 2025.
The EU is making promising progress on the road to climate neutrality but needs to keep up the pace to achieve the goal. This is the result of the third progress report by the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO), which has analysed developments in over 150 indicators across all areas of society. The weak points identified provide crucial information for the work of the EU institutions.

State of EU Progress to Climate Neutrality

2025 Flagship Report

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Publication:Report
 
Infographic showing three phases of the SCALE-UP community-driven bioeconomy development framework: (1) Design, which includes contextual analysis and regional platform establishment; (2) Implementation, with stakeholder engagement, innovation support, and pathway realization; and (3) Monitoring, which involves setting indicators and mechanisms for tracking progress. Themes of competitiveness, resilience, and social dimension guide the process toward sustainable, small-scale bioeconomy solutions.
This report presents the evidence-based guidance framework developed in the SCALE-UP project to support the design, implementation and monitoring of small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas. The framework draws on the experiences of six regional platforms established under the SCALE-UP project – in Mazovia (Poland), Northern Sweden, Strumica (North Macedonia), Upper Austria, the French Atlantic Arc, and Andalusia (Spain) – each reflecting distinct geographical, socio-economic, and institutional contexts.

Evidence-based Guidance Framework for Designing, Implementing and Monitoring Small-scale Bio-based Solutions in Rural Areas

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Publication:Report
 
carbon removals in the EU
While cutting emissions remains the primary objective of EU climate policy, achieving climate neutrality and eventually net-negative emissions will also require large-scale deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions. This report provides an overview of the current state and future potential of permanent CDR in Europe.

Carbon Removals in the EU

Review of current carbon removal projects and early-stage financing

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Publication:Article
 
Aquatic insects that emerge from streams are a crucial energy subsidy for riparian predators such as spiders. When streams are disturbed by human activities, these impacts can cross ecosystem boundaries, disrupting aquatic–terrestrial food web connectivity. This study, co-authored by Dr. Benjamin Kupilas from Ecologic Institute together with international partners, explores how such connections function and how they are shaped by human disturbance.

Fatty Acid Biomarkers Reveal Landscape Influences on Linkages between Aquatic and Terrestrial Food Webs

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Presentation:Lecture
 
From 4 to 8 August 2025, the International Academy for Nature Conservation (INA) on the Isle of Vilm hosted the seminar "Putting Nature on a Path to Recovery – Innovations in Ecosystem Restoration". The event brought together an international audience of experts and practitioners in ecosystem restoration, nature conservation, and sustainable development. Dr. Benjamin Kupilas, Senior Fellow and Coordinator for Biodiversity at Ecologic Institute, contributed with a talk titled "Restoring nature, restoring our future: From global goals to local gains."

Restoring Nature, Restoring our Future


Dr. Benjamin Kupilas

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Publication:Report
 
How can the EU stay on track to climate neutrality – despite tightening budgets and rising geopolitical pressure? A new Ariadne background paper reviews the Fit for 55 package, discusses open questions for the post-2030 period, and outlines options for a more coherent EU policy architecture.

Staying the Course in Turbulent Times

Insights on the current state and ways forward for the EU's climate, energy and finance policy architecture

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Publication:Article
 
Anthropogenic litter poses a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. While the EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) addresses this pollution as an environmental status indicator, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) lacks such a measure.The publication, jointly authored by researchers from the European Plastic Pirates initiative, illustrates how citizen science can address this issue by using existing litter data from related initiatives. Members of the author team included Doris Knoblauch and Mandy Hinzmann from the Ecologic Institute.

Public Participation in EU Legislation?

Recommendations for Involving Citizen Scientists in Anthropogenic Litter Research Within the Water Framework Directive

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Publication:Book Section
 
Cover of the book " A research agenda for environmental crime and law"
As part of the section on new and emerging themes in the book A Research Agenda for Environmental Crime and the Law, Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, contributed a chapter titled "Climate Change and Criminal Justice". In this chapter, he explores why criminal law currently plays only a marginal role in discussions on climate change mitigation – and whether this should, and could, be changed.

Climate Change and Criminal Justice

Chapter in A Research Agenda for Environmental Crime and the Law

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Presentation:Panel discussion
 
How can cities become more resilient, biodiverse, and socially inclusive in times of rapid change? These questions shaped the 4th World Conference of the Society for Urban Ecology (SURE), titled Cities Under Global Social Transformations. Among the many insights, Carlos Calzadilla Guerra contributed a discussion session on potential and challenges of repurposing urban vacant land (UVL) into nature-based solutions (NbS) in Latin American cities.

Repurposing Urban Vacant Land (UVL) into Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in Latin American Cities


Carlos Calzadilla Guerra

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Publication:Article
 
Cover of a publication from 'Cambridge Prisms' titled 'Plastics.' The cover features a gradient background transitioning from deep red to blue, with white lines cutting across the lower half. The title 'Plastics' is displayed in simple white text.
To enable a genuine shift toward a circular plastic economy, the UN plastics treaty must confront two critical structural barriers: fossil fuel and plastic production subsidies, and the failure to internalize the true societal and environmental costs of plastic. Without addressing these root causes, efforts to end plastic pollution risk falling short, the authors of this article argue. Among them Ecologic Institute's Doris Knoblauch.

A Circular Plastic Economy Should Account for all Societal Costs

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
In this Policy Brief of the EU-funded NICHES project, Benjamin Kupilas (Ecologic Institute) and David Alejandro Camacho Caballero (UAB) examine how cities like Barcelona, Berlin, and Rotterdam can shape the transition to sustainable urban water systems through Nature-based Solutions (NBS). The core question is which governance models, participatory processes, and methodological approaches are needed to embed NBS effectively into urban storm- and wastewater management strategies.

Transitioning to Sustainable Urban Water Systems

Insights from Barcelona, Berlin, and Rotterdam

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Presentation:Speech
 
On 2 July 2025, Fenja Kroos, Researcher at Ecologic Institute, contributed as a speaker to the European Youth Conference “European Green Roundtable” in Berlin. Fenja Kroos delivered a keynote presentation on the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, providing insights into the development of European environmental policy and discussing its relevance for current climate and biodiversity challenges.

The EU Nature Restoration Regulation


Fenja Kroos

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Presentation:Chairing
 
Promotional graphic for a recorded roundtable debate titled “The Role and Effectiveness of Scientific Advisory Bodies in Advancing EU Climate Policy.” It features five speakers: Ben Rhodes, Alina Averchenkova, François Dejean, Michael Bloss, and moderator Matthias Duwe. The event is organized by GreenDeal-NET and supported by the Brussels School of Governance and the European Union.
How can scientific advisory bodies help shape and legitimise the political course? This central question was the focus of the roundtable debate ‘The Role and Effectiveness of Scientific Advisory Bodies in Advancing EU Climate Policy’, moderated by Matthias Duwe (Ecologic Institute). He led the discussion, which focussed on the function and impact of scientific climate advisory bodies in the European context.

The Role and Effectiveness of Scientific Advisory Bodies in Advancing EU Climate Policy


Matthias Duwe

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