On 7 and 8 May 2026, Fenja Kroos from Ecologic Institute participated in the interdisciplinary expert workshop "Sustainability at Sea: Transformations in Contemporary Ocean Governance" at the Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg. Fenja Kroos gave a presentation on "Arctic Ocean governance in times of rapid change". The presentation examined how accelerating climate change, shifting ecosystems and growing human activities are challenging existing governance arrangements in the Arctic Ocean.

Climate change is often communicated through alarming data, worst-case scenarios, and urgent warnings. While scientific evidence remains essential, many people feel overwhelmed rather than empowered. At the latest Ecologic Institute Horizon Scan Event, participants explored how positive visions of the future can help drive societal transformation.

ECNO’s 2026 State of EU Progress to Climate Neutrality report provides a comprehensive assessment of whether the European Union is moving quickly enough to meet its climate goals. Drawing on a broad set of indicators and policy analysis, the report evaluates progress across the economy and identifies where stronger implementation could reduce exposure to fossil fuel dependence, supply-chain vulnerabilities, affordability challenges and climate-related risks.

Linda Mederake presented the first results of her dissertation research on EU plastics policy at the Dreiländertagung 2026, the joint conference of the German, Austrian, and Swiss political science associations. She addressed the question of why EU plastics policy expanded significantly between 2015 and 2019, even though EU environmental policy overall was characterised by stagnation or retrenchment during this period.

On 19 June 2026, the Italian National Research Council hosted a workshop in Mazara del Vallo in Western Sicily, bringing together fishers, policymakers, and researchers to discuss "Strengthening the Resilience of Marine Ecosystems through Innovative Technologies and Ecosystem-Based Approaches to Fisheries in the Strait of Sicily." Dr. Grit Martinez from Ecologic Institute participated on behalf of SEA4FUTURE.

Although pharmaceuticals are indispensable for public healthcare, their environmental impacts are rarely considered during prescribing or dispensing. A newly developed Environmental Pharmaceutical Index (EPI) aims to integrate environmental information systematically into pharmaceutical and medical decision-making. The objective is to balance therapeutical needs and environmental impacts by supporting the selection of therapeutically equivalent medicines with lower environmental impacts without compromising patient care.

A key focus of the project is extending the lifespan of everyday goods by enabling them to be passed on to new users instead of being discarded after their first use. This approach helps conserve valuable resources, reduces waste generation, and contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2026, the citizen science project “Plastic Pirates” celebrates its 10th anniversary. Since 2016, about 24,000 young people, together with teachers and youth group leaders, have collected valuable data on plastic pollution in German waters. To mark the anniversary, two new campaign periods will begin in autumn 2026 and spring 2027, inviting young people once again to take part in the citizen science initiative.

On 15 June 2026, experts from Germany and the United States gathered in Berlin for the workshop "Nature-based Solutions in urban and rural contexts in the United States and Germany". McKenna Davis presented findings from the Urban Governance Atlas, the "Natürlich Klimaanpassung!" project, and her report for the European Commission on co-creating inclusive NbS. Her presentation underlined that nature-based solutions are no longer a niche concept and are supported by a growing body of evidence on their effectiveness.

The white paper brings together evidence and recommendations from seven EU-funded projects, including RESTORE4Cs. The paper highlights the urgent need to accelerate wetland conservation and restoration across Europe, as degraded wetlands continue to drive biodiversity loss, weaken water resilience, and turn ecosystems that can store carbon into sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Ecologic Institute in partnership with Milieu and Fresh Thoughts, is supporting the European Commission in a 4-year framework contract on EU water and marine policies for nature, resilience, sustainability, prosperity, and competitiveness. The consortium will provide expertise across a wide range of technical, legal, economic, and scientific areas. In particular, this framework contract provides services to the European Commission.

Yesterday, Federal Minister for Research Dorothee Bär presented the Federal Ministry's new Research for Sustainability (FONA) funding strategy in Berlin. The Ecological Research Network (Ecornet), a network of eight leading sustainability research institutes in Germany, welcomes the high priority that both the Minister personally and the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) attach to research supporting sustainability and economic transformation.

The High-Tech Agenda Germany, with its focus on six key technologies, is the Federal Government's flagship strategy for research, technology and innovation. In a statement published today, the Ecological Research Network (Ecornet) – a network of eight leading sustainability research institutes in Germany – calls for the Agenda to place sustainability and societal resilience at the heart of its future development.

The European Commission’s proposed Omnibus Simplification Package aims to streamline the authorisation of pesticides and reduce regulatory burdens within the European Union. However, a new Policy Forum article published in Science argues that the proposal could significantly weaken environmental risk assessment procedures and increase risks to biodiversity and human health. According to the authors, the current EU pesticide framework already contains important gaps, including insufficient consideration of impacts on many non-target organisms, cumulative effects of multiple pesticides, and sublethal ecological impacts. Rather than addressing these shortcomings, the Omnibus proposal may exacerbate them.

This event aims to showcase the wide range of climate data, indicators and tools available through the Copernicus Climate change Service (C3S), one of the initiatives implemented by ECMWF, highlighting practical applications relevant to Mediterranean countries and sectors. The event will also contribute to identifying user needs and priorities, helping to strengthen the understanding of climate information requirements across the region.