Following our successful kickoff event in March 2025, where more than 100 participants joined us, we were excited to take the next step: In two workshops, we worked together to create a shared vision for the future of Hamburg's agricultural sector by 2045. We counted on practical experience to help shape the future!

The 25th Arctic Dialogue took place on 3 June 2025 at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Potsdam and focused on international cooperation in polar research, with a particular emphasis on the 5th International Polar Year (IPY 2032/33).

The inaugural Horizon Scan was a success. In a small group, our researchers discussed Europe's capacity for innovation and long-term resilience with representatives from politics, public authorities, and civil society. For the keynote speech, we were fortunate to have Ulrich Wilhelm, a lawyer, journalist, and former government spokesman and former Director of Bayerischer Rundfunk.

Rewetting peatlands – but how? This new guide provides an overview of the key steps involved in planning, financing and authorising peatland protection projects in Lower Saxony, as well as the associated measures. Commissioned by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the brochure features contributions from Felix Dengler and Ulf Stein on behalf of the Ecologic Institute.

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.

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.

The kick-off conference at the Umweltforum Berlin on 11 and 12 March 2025 marked the start of the new 'Circular Textiles' funding measure from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in which a total of 16 joint research projects and an accompanying networking and transfer project will be working on solutions to support a circular textile economy until 2028. The aim of the event, which was attended by around 100 people, was to present the individual projects, identify common challenges and derive cross-cutting topics for collaborative work.

The research project “Feasibility Study on the Establishment of an Environmental Information and Classification System for Pharmaceuticals in Germany”, led by Ecologic Institute, developed a concept for an environmental information and classification system for Germany and conducted a feasibility analysis for this concept, evaluating organizational, technical, legal, financial and political feasibility. The project results were presented to a wide range of interested parties at a final presentation held at the beginning of March 2025. Over 110 participants, including representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, health insurance companies, doctors, pharmacists and environmental authorities, took part in the online event.

On 4 March 2025, over 100 stakeholders from administration, agriculture, civil society, NGOs, and academia convened in Hamburg to kick off the participatory process for developing the city's Zukunft Agrar+ 2045 strategy. The aim: to jointly develop a long-term vision for Hamburg's agricultural sector that will inform practical measures and shape the city's transition toward sustainability and climate neutrality.

On 25 February 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, the expert dialogue "Access not Ownership: Opportunities and Challenges of the Sharing Economy" took place. The event was organized by the Ecologic Institute on behalf of the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection, and the Environment (SenMVKU) and was held in Berlin.

On 13 and 14 February 2025, Arne Riedel and Fenja Kroos from Ecologic Institute participated in the founding meeting of the Polar Policy Working Group of the German Society for Polar Research (DGP), held in Berlin. The meeting was organised in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) and took place back-to-back with the annual conference of the DVPW thematic group on Polar and Ocean Politics.

This animated video visualizes the different methods of disposal throughout Germany.

Pharmaceutical substances from creams and gels can enter wastewater when washed off after application. However, this can be reduced by first wiping your hands with a paper towel, disposing of it in the household waste, and only then washing your hands.

This report examines different approaches to removing plastic waste from wastewater, rivers, harbours, coastal areas and the open sea. It draws on scientific studies, recent reports, information provided by technology developers, and expert interviews.