This article, co-authored by Mandy Hinzmann and Linda Mederake from Ecologic Institute, assesses the potential of the EU "Single-Use Plastics Directive" (SUPD) to reduce litter pollution in the environment with three scenarios. The scenario analysis revealed that the success the current SUPD can be an important first step, yet further legislative actions are needed to effectively prevent plastic waste pollution - bans alone are not sufficient. The success of the Directive is therefore highly dependent on implementation and enforcement.

The Urban Development Funding Day on 13 May 2023 is a nationwide event where cities and municipalities provide information about their urban development projects.

This blog post shows why the EU Renovation Wave should link environmental and social issues. EU member states are currently facing three crises: the climate crisis, an energy security crisis and a social crisis. The EU Renovation Wave has a key role in responding to all three crises. However, it can only fulfill this key role if the implementation of the renovation wave is socially fair.

How do we classify which investments are the right ones to power the transition to a climate and nature-friendly economy? This is a pretty big question, and one that is crucial to a successful implementation of the European Green Deal. The EU Taxonomy Regulation specifies the various criteria that investments will need to fulfil to be considered sustainable. In practice, the taxonomy is a long list of economic activities with benchmark performance standards.

What role do policies play in driving plant-based solutions for more sustainable food systems? In this article, Julia Jägle from Ecologic Institute explores policy strategies and approaches to foster plant-based solutions in Germany and offers an international comparison. She shows that Germany has potential for improvement and introduces political instruments to further promote plant-based food systems and diets.

For the project, "Green Deal – Big Deal? Discussing Europe's Green Future", Ecologic Institute designed a postcard series. The postcard series promotes the podcast itself and on two cards in particular the third episode Sustainability in Style: Circular fashion in the European Green Deal. The postcards are designed according to the project's style guidelines and also include a QR code to the podcast (episode).

Indicators measuring progress towards climate neutrality must address the often structural, sectoral, and cross-sectoral changes implied by the transition, covering both the economic and social dimensions. To address this, Ecologic Institute developed this working document, testing an indicator framework for assessing the progress to climate neutrality by 2050. The document offers a glimpse at areas where developments are currently headed in the right direction or lagging behind.

On 19 May 2020, Doris Knoblauch moderated a media training for the research focus "Plastics in the Environment". The journalist Ralf Nestler provided the content input. In addition to his work at the Tagesspiegel, he also worked as a scientist at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam. Nestler thus knows both sides of the relationship between science and journalism.

Doris Knoblauch gave a presentation on plastic waste at the Freudberg School in Berlin on 9 December 2020. The lecture took place as part of the "Plastic Pirates" project.

What exactly is the European Green Deal? Which role does it play in our everyday life? And what challenges does it pose? In our podcast and webinar series "Green deal – Big Deal?" we take a critical look at these questions and discuss various aspects of the European Green Deal with experts from policy, business and science. Ecologic Institute produced a reel to contribute to the visibility of the podcast.

This infographic visualizes the proposed three-step process (preparation, implementation, monitoring) for EU member states to strengthen LTS relevance for net-zero. It's part of the report "Charting a Path to Net Zero. An assessment of national long-term strategies in the EU." The report presents the findings from an assessment of 22 long-term strategies (LTSs) of the EU Member States available as of March 2022. It is complemented by a briefing that summarizes the key findings and recommendations.

All EU member states should be clear on the role of emission reductions and removals, and ideally include specific long-term reduction and removal targets. LTSs should provide information about when and how these reductions and removals will be realised. This means strategies must include a description of pathways, including interim targets, to paint a clear picture of what needs to happen in the short- and longer term. This infographic visualizes different pathways of long-term strategies. It's part of the report "Charting a Path to Net Zero. An assessment of national long-term strategies in the EU." The report presents the findings from an assessment of 22 long-term strategies (LTSs) of the EU Member States available as of March 2022. It is complemented by a briefing that summarizes the key findings and recommendations.

Preparing and then adopting a robust and sufficiently detailed long-term climate strategy is a crucial step. These strategies should include pathways that identify the necessary changes in the main emitting sectors and the economy as a whole. The plans need to take into consideration the specific national starting conditions and include economic, technical and social aspects, as well as other long-term objectives (e.g., adaptation needs or biodiversity goals). This infographic shows puzzle pieces that should be considered when developing strategies for moving toward net-zero emissions.

What models currently exist to promote photovoltaic systems on multi-unit buildings, and how can the regulatory framework be improved to further accelerate expansion? On 25 April 2023, three different models for the generation and use of PV electricity for multi-party buildings were presented in keynote speeches and then discussed with the expert audience.

On 6 May 2022, Ecologic Institute organized the "Theme Day Plastic in the Environment" to present to the public the research findings achieved since 2017 from 20 research projects with more than 100 participating institutions from science, industry and practice. Ecologic Institute developed a trailer for passenger television in Berlin's subways (Berliner Fenster) for Berlin-wide visibility of the event.