We are pleased to announce the appointment of Christoph Heinrich as the new Director of Ecologic Institute. He will assume his position on 1 August 2024. Christoph Heinrich takes over from Dr. Camilla Bausch, who is stepping down at the end of this summer after more than 20 years of dedicated work, including almost a decade as Director.
On 31 July 2024, the mayors of the Colombian cities of Villa Rica, Hato Nuevo, El Charco, and Ospina visited the Ecologic Institute as part of a study trip organized by the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities, and Local Government Associations (FLACMA).
Doris Knoblauch and Felix Nütz (both Ecologic Institute) introduced the Plastics Pirates project to interested visitors at the Danube Festival in Ulm on 10 July 2024. At their own stand, they conducted experiments with children and adults to demonstrate the problem of plastic pollution and microplastics in particular.
On 4 July 2024, an expert dialog on nature-based coastal protection took place at Ecologic Institute in Berlin. This event was intended to foster cross-sector dialogues between experts from different fields and thus contribute to the further development of nature-based coastal protection in order to meet the challenges of climate change and protect biodiversity in coastal regions.
The NICHES project is in search of innovative solutions for adapting to extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall. To this end, we are analyzing the effects of heavy rainfall and the effectiveness of adaptation measures in an online survey.
Three working papers aim to support the responsible ministries and competent authorities of EU Member States in implementing the EU Methane Emission Regulation (EU-MER), expected to enter into force in July 2024.
In the face of rapidly changing marine environments, innovative strategies are essential to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainability. Gregory Fuchs recently led a series of workshops on the island of Vilm (Baltic Sea, Germany), highlighting how Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) and Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) can address complex marine challenges. He also shared insights from research projects like Marine SABRES.
As part of the Credible project, we invite stakeholders and citizens to participate in the discussion on carbon farming in the EU by providing feedback on the project reports during this public consultation. This is your opportunity to influence the ongoing development of the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) and the wider discussion on carbon farming in the EU. The feedback provided through your comments during the public consultation will be shared with the wider expert community and policy makers to ensure that EU policy on carbon farming works with and for farmers and delivers climate and biodiversity benefits.
As part of Project Credible, we invite stakeholders and citizens to join the discussion on carbon farming in the EU by providing feedback on the project reports during this public consultation. This is your opportunity to shape the ongoing development of the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) and the broader discussion on carbon farming in the EU. The feedback you provide in the public consultations will be shared with the broader expert community and policymakers to ensure that EU carbon farming policy works with and for farmers, delivering climate and biodiversity benefits.
The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, was held in Ottawa (Canada), from 23 to 29 April 2024. This session marked a crucial step in the global effort to address plastic pollution, with over 2500 participants from governments, academia, civil society organizations, private sector entities, UN entities, and international organizations. Linda Mederake attended the INC-4 negotiations in Ottawa on behalf of the Ecologic Institute, supported by the Konrad von Moltke Fund.
Dr Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, took part in a panel discussion in the Bundestag as part of a workshop on environmental crime organised by Bündnis90/Die Grünen. In his keynote speech, he outlined the most important innovations of the amended EU Environmental Crime Directive and the challenges of its implementation in Germany. The panel discussion was chaired by MdB Lukas Benner. Other panellists were Katharina Lang (WWF) on the topic of illegal timber trade and journalist Marius Münstermann on the topic of illegal waste trade.
Ecologic Institute is a UN-accredited voice for a global plastics agreement. But we lack funding for the next decisive round of negotiations in Busan (South Korea) in November 2024. By participating, we are contributing to counteracting lobbying and enabling delegates to be properly informed. In Ottawa, we are currently providing specialist information on the effects of plastic production and consumption. Your donation will enable us to strengthen independent science and continue this important work!
The conference "The Future Task of a Near-Natural Landscape Water Balance" sought to address the pressing need for restoring and maintaining a healthy landscape water balance in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures and climate change. This balance was crucial not only for the preservation of biodiversity, but also for mitigating the impacts of climate change and ensuring sustainable resource management.