R. Andreas Kraemer, founder of the Ecologic Institute and co-chair of the investment committee of the Ökovision Fund, puts it in a nutshell: "Neither nuclear power nor coal can replace gas or oil from Russia, and right now it is becoming clear how important energy efficiency and renewable energies are. We at Ökovision are counting on this and see no reason to reconsider our strict criteria". The article in the magazine "Finanztest" also shows that there are large grey areas in sustainable investment because criteria are formulated and applied differently. Especially with index funds or ETFs, investors cannot be sure how their money is invested.

This paper discusses main behavioral drivers that are relevant for increasing diets that are more plant-based. The analysis of influencing factors aims to identify effective starting points where policy instruments can be applied in Germany to achieve changes in dietary patterns across the population as effectively as possible and to reduce the consumption of animal products. The result is a pre-structured collection of potentially effective policy approaches.

The consumption of dairy, eggs and meat causes damage to the environment in various places in the supply chain, such as climate change, eutrophication and the emission of harmful substances such as ammonia (which contributes to nitrogen problems) and particulate matter. The TAPP Coalition (True Animal Protein Price Coalition) requests a European-oriented policy proposals to pass on the price of dairy, eggs and meat so that it reflects the actual costs to society and to calculate these for economic and environmental effects for the EU-27 involving two case studies for Germany and France.

The central objective of the work presented in this report was to assess the European Commission's Strategic Long-Term Vision and supplementary materials and reflect on them in light of state-of-the-art sector analyses.

On the afternoons of 29 and 30 June 2022, a two-part online workshop was held as part of the project "Information and teaching materials for an environmentally conscious use of human pharmaceuticals". The workshop was titled "Embedding the topic 'Pharmaceuticals in the Environment' in pharmaceutical and medical university teaching as well as in continuing education and professional training", and discussed with stakeholders different approaches to foster the uptake of this topic in teaching curricula.

In the framework of the scientific accompanying research (PlastikNet) of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen • Senken • Lösungsansätze) Ecologic Institute coordinates 20 joint research projects, which deal with plastics in the environment funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF). This fact sheet series condenses the joint research project findings and presents them consistently in the project design.

As the war in Ukraine escalates, the climate crisis continues. But environmental policy in particular could build important bridges, reminds Dr. Camilla Bausch Scientific & Executive Director of Ecologic Institute. In an interview with Elisabeth von Thadden, she discusses, among other things, the environmental impact of the war and the dichotomy over Ukraine's demand to the secretariats of thirteen major international environmental agreements to exclude Russia from relevant decision-making bodies and suspend Russian membership in the agreements.

The European Green Deal and the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change recognise the need for further action in the field of quantitative water management and include priority actions to stimulate and foster resilience and sustainability. Under a new contract for the European Commission, Ecologic Institute is contributing to a study on water quantity management in Europe and supports the work of the task group on Water Scarcity and Droughts of the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) of the WFD.

On 20 May 2022, during the European Maritime Day, the hybrid Ocean Literacy EU4Ocean Summit showcased and awarded the most successful initiatives, collaborations and actions of the EU4Ocean Coalition members. Organisations, individuals, young people, schools and teachers came together to celebrate their efforts and commitment to the ocean and invite others to join them in their work to enhance ocean literacy throughout Europe.

Plastic pollution in the environment is a global problem with unforeseeable ecological consequences. Despite numerous activities and approaches, there are only a few reliable findings on the input and distribution pathways and the effects on humans and animals. In order to close these knowledge gaps, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research established the major research focus "Plastics in the Environment - Sources - Sinks - Solutions" in summer 2017 and funded 20 innovative collaborative projects. The aim of the research was to obtain an overall picture of the environmental impact of plastics along their entire life cycle, from production and use to disposal. The aim is also to identify opportunities for improvement as well as options for action, thus creating the scientific basis for holistic strategies and measures. This conference proceedings present the research of the joint projects and work results in the cross-sectional topics.

The main element of this project was the implementation of the international expert workshop "Fostering applied research on the synergies between biodiversity and climate", which took place online between 8 and 9 June 2022. With around 30 leading scientists, 10 presentations of case studies and interactive break-out groups, this workshop enabled lively discussions and insights on opportunities for participatory research for the biodiversity-climate nexus.

In this project, Ecologic Institute, Öko-Institut and Schnittstelle Boden develop legal options for revising the German Federal Soil Act and draft potential corresponding amendments. This is one of the objectives in the German Government's 2021 Coalition Agreement and the research is funded by the German Environment Agency.

This study presents selected (inter)national and regional initiatives for the circular economy, including the European Circular Economy Action Plan and the circular economy in China's 14th Five-Year Plan and shows if and how these strategies take developing and emerging countries into account. Furthermore, the study explores some of the key effects that come with increased circularity. Key topics discussed are the effect on trade in primary raw materials, the shift to bio-based products, a possible reduction in waste exports and knowledge transfer. The report also provides a brief analysis of selected specific measures from the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan of 2020, with a special focus on their potential impact on developing and emerging countries.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are recognised as cost-effective tools to alleviate pressure during high rainfall events while producing wider societal and environmental benefits, but uptake is limited in practice due to lacking evidence. The NICHES project – Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies – aims to fill this gap by adopting a holistic social-ecological-technical systems (SETS) approach to explore the potential of urban NBS as an alternative to the costly renewal of grey wastewater systems. Five global cities – Barcelona, Berlin, Boston, Sheffield, and Rotterdam – will be utilized to co-create knowledge and develop a shared understanding of restorative NBS that can be applied to avoid storm-water run-off and negative impacts for aquatic biodiversity.

Berlin can look back on an eventful history of the New Social Movements. Numerous Berlin pioneering organizations from that time are still active: Kraut & Rüben, the Schokofabrik, Oktoberdruck, the Regenbogenfabrik and many more. At the same time, many new alternative-economy enterprises are currently emerging in Berlin - the city that is considered a melting pot of alternative economy. But what is new about today's ideas compared to the motives of over 40 years ago? What can those active today learn from the successes and failures of that time? What experiences can, and should they build on? And: What role do changed framework conditions play? What has become possible or impossible today compared to the past?