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Project
 
The Guidance on Climate Resilient Landscapes project, financed by DG CLIMA, will develop actionable guidance to strengthen climate resilience in Europe's rural landscapes. With floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires becoming more frequent and severe, landscapes need to be managed in ways that help them absorb, recover from, and mitigate such events, supporting both ecological and human resilience.

Guidance on Climate Resilient Landscapes

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Event:Workshop
 
Online workshop on Urban Heat Island adaptation in Rome, 14 April 2025, featuring the Colosseum and green urban landscape; funded by the EU.
On 14 April 2025, 80 municipal representatives, researchers and urban planning experts came together to explore practical approaches to mitigating the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The workshop featured case studies from Athens, Milan, and Vienna, highlighting local adaptation strategies, analytical tools, and implementation mechanisms that support urban resilience.

Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Effect

Learning from Best Practices in European Cities


Online, Italy

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Event:Conference
 
In 2025, the Ecologic Institute marked an important milestone: 30 years of independent environmental research and policy engagement. On 30 June 2025, we gathered with our community of alumni, colleagues, funders, partners, and friends in Berlin to celebrate this special occasion.

Ecologic Institute turns 30

A special evening to reflect, connect, and celebrate


Berlin, Germany

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Project
 
The Plastic Pirates Plus project focuses on where participation in education needs to be particularly promoted: in school classes with a higher proportion of pupils from socially disadvantaged households. The aim is to give these young people access to the world of science through a low-threshold, practical programme – regardless of their financial or social circumstances. Participation in the project is free of charge and thus deliberately designed so that no child is excluded.

Plastic Pirates Plus: Opportunities along the coast

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Project
 
In spring 2025, the Plastic Pirates were active on the Danube River once again. School classes and extracurricular youth groups were invited to collect their own data on plastic pollution and get to know the Danube better as an important habitat and transport route. The aim of the campaign was to raise young people's environmental awareness and give them a hands-on approach to scientific work. Participation was free of charge.

"Plastic Pirates" explore Plastic Litter on the Danube

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Publication:Report
 
Urban community garden with a colorful sign reading 'Cosechando Comunidad' (Harvesting Community), part of the INTERLACE project publication cover titled 'Locally rooted, globally connected' about Europe–Latin America knowledge exchange in urban ecosystem restoration.
The publication “Locally rooted, globally connected” captures key lessons learned from the knowledge exchanges in the context of the transdisciplinary research and international cooperation between cities, researchers, city networks, and wider stakeholders from Europe and Latin America conducted in the frames of the INTERLACE project. Through partnerships across the two regions, the project highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of working across diverse cultural, institutional, and geographic contexts and demonstrated the importance of tailoring NbS to local contexts while balancing the need for comparability across regions.

Locally Rooted, Globally Connected

Lessons from Europe-Latin America knowledge exchanges in a transdisciplinary research project

Year

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News
 
This spring, the German Plastic Pirates are once again setting off to explore plastic pollution in our waters. From 1 May to 30 June 2025, school classes and youth groups are invited to take part in the sampling period. The investigation will focus on the German coasts and the river systems of the Elbe and Danube, including their tributaries.
 

The Plastic Pirates' New Sampling Period is Dedicated to Plastic Waste Pollution on the Coasts and in the Elbe and Danube Catchment Areas

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Presentation:Chairing
 
Hugh McDonald and Julia Pazmino from Ecologic Institute led the session "Ensuring sustainability outcomes from carbon farming: Recommendations for the CRCF and voluntary carbon markets" at the Second European Carbon Summit 2025. Hugh joined a panel on policy areas for carbon farming, while Julia shared insights on rewarding mechanisms for farmers.

Carbon Farming for Sustainability: Certification, Policy, and Incentive Mechanisms for Agriculture

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Hugh McDonald

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Event:Workshop
 
On 6 March 2025, the 4th EU Blue Parks Community Workshop convened in Brussels as part of the European Ocean Days, bringing together marine conservation experts including researchers, policymakers, MPA managers, conservation practitioners, and other stakeholders to discuss the transition towards 10% strict protection in European seas. The workshop was co-organized by Ecologic Institute as part of its role in the Mission Ocean & Waters Implementation Support Platform, supporting the EU’s ambition to restore ocean health and strengthen marine protection.

4th EU Blue Parks Community Workshop

Strict protection in European seas: how it helps people and nature


Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Digital Event
 
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.

Establishment of an Environmental Information and Classification System for Pharmaceuticals in Germany

Final project presentation


Online

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Presentation:Speech
 
On 25 and 26 February 2025, Biodiversa+, in collaboration with UNEP-WCMC and with the support of the Research Council of Norway, convened a Foresight Workshop in Oslo to explore the intersections between nature-based solutions (NbS) and transformative change. McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow and Coordinator of Nature-based Solutions at Ecologic Institute, was invited to participate as an expert and support the identification of emerging research needs and innovation priorities that can advance NbS within the broader context of transformative change. Addressing key knowledge gaps and research priorities

Nature-Based Solutions and Transformative Change

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McKenna Davis

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Event:Conference
 
The image is a promotional poster for the 'Ready4NetZero Final Conference' titled 'Climate Transition of Cities – From Planning to Action.' The event is scheduled for 3 April 2025 from 10:00 to 16:15 at the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cracow, Poland. Registration details are provided via QR codes for both on-site and online participation. The poster includes logos from event organizers and supporters, such as Energía Cities, REGEA, EcoLogic, Energiaklub, and OER.
The Ready4NetZero Final Conference, "Climate Transition of Cities – From Planning to Action", provided a platform for international exchange on climate neutrality strategies in cities.

Climate Transition of Cities – From Planning to Action

Ready4NetZero Final Conference


online and Kraków, Poland

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Presentation:Lecture
 
On 17 March 2025, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute) gave a presentation on "Plastics and the Environment", highlighting the negative impacts of plastics and plastic pollution at a post-graduate course attended by 21 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, NGOs and industry from low-income countries and emerging economies. The focus was on why plastic pollution is a problem for both the environment and human health, the role of textiles, and why we urgently need an international, legally binding plastics treaty.

Plastics and Their Global Impact: Why the World Needs a Binding Agreement


Doris Knoblauch

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Event:Conference
 
Promotional graphic for the “SPRINT Conference” on sustainable plant protection. Main text: “Shaping the future of sustainable plant protection.” Date: 25 June 2025. Location: La Tricoterie, Brussels & online. Free to attend. Red “Register Now” button. Discussion topics include pesticide hazards and reduction across Europe. Contact: sprint@wur.nl. Includes SPRINT and EU logos.
The SPRINT Horizon 2020 project's final conference, "Shaping the Future of Sustainable Plant Protection," took place on 25 June 2025 in Brussels and online. This free, one-day event presented research on the health and environmental impacts of pesticides, introduced the new SPRINT Toolbox for risk assessment, and explored policy tools to support a transition to reduced reliance on pesticides.

Shaping the Future of Sustainable Plant Protection

Final Conference


online and Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Conference
 
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.

Kick-off Conference of the BMBF Funding Measure "Circular Textiles"

Exciting presentations and interesting discussions on various aspects of circular textiles

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Berlin, Germany

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