Hannes Schritt hold a presentation concerning water in Berlin and Virtual Water at the BUNDjugend German-Egyptian Youth Exchange in Berlin. As part of the presentation he explained the water cycle of Berlin: Treated waste water is reused as drinking water to ensure water availability. In addition, Berlin gets drinking water by river bank filtration from Havel, Spree and Dahme. As a result of both, Berlin's drinking water quality depends on good water quality of the effluent of the waste water treatment plants and the rivers crossing the city. After presenting primarily technical aspects Hannes Schritt talked about political conflicts and inititiatives concerning water in Berlin and the concept of Virtual Water. The presentation slides are available for download.

In a broadcast on Bayerische Rundfunk on 30 July 2019, Dr. Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, expressed his views on the core elements and added value of climate change acts at federal state's level. The broadcast aired on the occasion of the meeting of the Bavarian Climate Cabinet on climate protection in Bavaria. Stephan Sina co-authored a study on climate change acts at federal state's level with Dr. Heidi Stockhaus for WWF Germany, which was mentioned in the broadcast.

How can food systems be transformed to become more sustainable and climate-friendly? This and other questions about rebuilding agriculture and food systems to become future proof are answered by Stephanie Wunder, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute in her interview for ERNÄHRUNGS UMSCHAU. In the interview, she reflects about the role of science and policy consultancy, identifies the opportunities arising from the EAT Lancet report, and identifies policy approaches. The interview can be read free of charge at ERNÄHRUNGS UMSCHAU online.

The widespread use of plastics, the mass consumption of disposable plastic products and the longevity of plastics lead to a waste volume that can hardly be managed anymore. Many people are particularly alarmed by the pollution of the oceans by microplastics and plastic waste. Despite all this, the volume of packaging per capita continues to rise and has doubled over the last twenty years – to 213 kilograms in 2015. The intense public debate has also called for a political response: A European plastics strategy is currently aimed at banning straws and plastic tableware. But can this solve the environmental problem? How serious are the effects of plastic waste and microplastics on the environment? What are the right steps to take to reduce the impact on the environment and the use of plastics?

On 26 June 2019, the NaWiKo workshop "Sustainable management in companies through employee integration in corporate sustainability innovations" took place in the facilities of the KUKA Gmbh in Siegen. The aim of the workshop was to discuss findings from research projects dealing with the relevance of the involvement of employees and users in corporate sustainability innovations with company representatives from the manufacturing industry. The goal of the exchange was to discuss the role and the challenges regarding Open Innovation (meaning the involvement of employees and users) for corporate sustainability innovations in terms of whether and under what conditions research findings can be relevant for and applicable to everyday business life.

In June 2019, the stakeholder workshop "Optimal soil management to ensure yield capacity & acceptance analysis of measures to upgrade the subsoil" of the BMBF-funded BonaRes project "Soil³ – Sustainable Subsoil Management" took place in Moltzow (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). This workshop is part of a series of workshops with the aim to discuss and gather the prevailing opinions on subsoil management measures with the help of an acceptance analysis. Ecologic Institute researchers discussed with farmers and other ecological actors under which conditions they would implement or support these measures.

On 17 June 2019, the NaWiKo workshop "Sustainable management in companies based on the example of bioplastics" took place at the facilities of Bio-Molkerei Söbbeke GmbH, a sustainable creamery, in Gronau near Münster. The aim of the workshop was for company representatives from the packaging and food industry to discuss findings from research projects that dealt with sustainability effects of bioplastics and bio-based materials.

On 17 June 2019 the workshop "Federal and regional governments in dialogue on sustainable food systems. From individual projects to a holistic strategy?" took place at the EUREF Campus in Berlin with 30 participants. The aim of the event was to discuss how strategies could be developed that not only address the topic of sustainable nutrition in a politically comprehensive way, but which are also based on the numerous good individual initiatives and projects at the federal and regional level.

The Ecologic Institute organised in June 2019 the two-day Future Workshop of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) on Floodplains and River Development as Future Tasks for Departmental Research. The BfN introduced the instrument of future workshops in 2015 in order to determine and discuss medium- and long-term research needs in selected topic areas on an annual basis. The main target is the exchange between research institutions, operators and users of research results with the specialist departments of the BfN.

In response to Brexit, the EU has initiated a process of self-reflection and, if necessary, reform - the so-called Bratislava Process or the Process of the Future of Europe. As a contribution to this process, the Ecologic Institute explored with different partners how climate policy can support this process and how climate policy can benefit from it. On June 13, the Ecologic Institute presented the project results in Berlin.

On 4 June 2019 was a workshop at the Federal Ministery for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) to discuss a proposal for a new guidance standard (ISO 14002-2) for managing water with ISO 14001. The workshop served as a platform for information and discussion on the planned standard, bringing together interested experts from water management, water stewardship and environmental management, in and outside of the ISO community. The aim of the workshop was to refine the draft of the proposal for a new guidance standard concerning the scope, structure, conceptual approach and outline of ISO 14002-2. The results of the workshop will be used to update the draft of the proposal before it will be submitted to ISO for an international approval process.

On 29 May 2019, Doris Knoblauch and Linda Mederake, both scientific researchers at Ecologic Institute, were guest "professors" at the Nürti Üni, the pupils' university of the Nürtingen Primary School in Berlin Kreuzberg. They held a lecture on "Plastics Crisis – Advantages of Plastics and the Problems of Plastic Consumption".

What kind of solutions are required to increase the market share of sustainable bio-based and circular products in Germany and Europe? Which products and product properties do consumers demand? What are the innovations that can be developed and what are suitable research and communication strategies? What role do local value chains and markets play? And how does a supportive regulatory environment look like?

At the dialogue event "The River, the Waste and Me" by the Berlin initiative "Alles im Fluss" in cooperation with "Stadtgespräch Wasser bewegt Berlin" on water pollution control and waste on the banks, Linda Mederake, scientific researcher at Ecologic Institute, presented the project Plastic Pirates. In this citizen science project for children and teenagers, school classes and youth groups throughout Germany can collect data on the amount of plastic waste on and in German rivers and thereby become scientists themselves.

On 28 May 2019, Dr. Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, moderated a panel discussion on the lessons Germany could learn from the experiences of other European countries regarding a climate change act. The panel was composed of Chris Stark from the UK Climate Change Committee, Petter Hojem from the Swedish Ministry of the Environment, and Dr. Dirk Weinreich from the German Federal Ministry of the Environment. The panel discussion was part of the event "A Climate Change Act for Germany - What can Germany learn from the experiences of other countries?" organised by the Stiftung Umweltenergierecht and the British Embassy in Berlin.