Nature-based Solutions (NBS) for EU cities and regions represent an integral part of the EU's transition to achieving climate neutrality. In this panel, moderated by Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis, experts discussed effective, just and inclusive strategies to design, implement and manage NBS, while engaging under-represented or marginalised stakeholders. The event was part of the European Week of Regions and Cities.

It's that time again: From 15 September to 15 November 2022, youths between the ages of 10 and 16 are being called upon to take part in the "Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!" campaign along with their teachers or group leaders. The aim is for participants to deal with the issue of plastic waste in the environment – especially in and around rivers. The accompanying teaching and working materials, as well as the booklet, guide the participants through the campaign and can be ordered free of charge by teachers or group leaders on the campaign website.

Energy prosumption through the deployment of residential renewable energy technologies reduces greenhouse gas emissions, speeds up the energy transition and provides important community benefits. In a new report, the European Environment Agency assesses energy prosumption models used throughout the EU and recommends policy tools that can allow even more EU citizens to benefit from energy prosumption. The publication builds on a study produced by CE Delft, Fraunhofer ISI and Ecologic Institute.

On 13 September 2022, the online workshop "Strengthening supply chain resilience: identifying climate risks and taking adaptation measures" was held as part of the Climate Adaptation Week organized by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). The event provided an overview of climate risks for the globally interconnected German economy and showed how companies can deal with these risks.

It is unlikely that the deployment of CO2 removal (CDR) at the required scales will happen as a side effect of other policies. Large-scale CDR deployment will not happen by accident, but needs time, incentives, and clear rules. Without strategic orientation, it is also hard to balance the multiple implications of each CDR option for societies, economies and ecosystems. Member States' CDR strategies could be a first step to trigger the necessary public debate and to help create an adequate framework for CO2 removal.

On one of those days when the temperature hit 30 degrees, the "Green Deal – Big Deal?" podcast host Ewa Iwaszuk from Ecologic Institute in Berlin speaks with her guests about the climate change impacts in cities and especially about the EU's plans on how to adapt to and better deal with those impacts. The discussion focuses on the possibilities that nature offers to help us cope with challenges such as heat and flooding.

In the context of the political goal of strengthening the reuse of used goods, the project aimed at supporting and executing re-use measures in Berlin in order to foster structures and actors in Berlin that bring the used goods market out of its niche. To do so, the project drew on the practical experience of initial pilot tests in 2018, networking activities since 2019 and the opening of the Re-Use Superstore in 2020.

Ecologic Institute developed 3 video tutorials on the use of Climate-ADAPT as part of a 2-year outreach and engagement campaign. The videos are designed to familiarise new users with the information and knowledge available on the platform on adaptation at the local, national, transnational and European levels. They also demonstrate how this information can be used to assess impacts, vulnerability, risks and adaptation options and to develop, implement and evaluate adaptation policies, plans and measures.

The Ecologic Institute designed and developed the theme day website "Plastic in the Environment". It contained the event documentation and programme information.

In an interview with Sinan Reçber of the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel, Rodrigo Vidaurre and Benedict Bueb of Ecologic Institute discussed what measures can be taken in various sectors to lessen the impact of droughts in Germany. In addition to water-sensitive urban development, which increasingly relies on nature-based solutions to store water during dry periods, this includes the cultivation of drought-resistant agricultural varieties as well as the rewetting of peatlands.

In view of a strong waste management sector with good separate waste collection rates and high recycling rates of over 80 %, Germany is generally well positioned to increase the use of recyclates. So far, however, this potential has only been partially exploited. Against this background, Ecologic Institute, together with the Policy Assessment Research Group of the Freie Universität Berlin, identifies and describes barriers to the use of recyclates and policy instruments to overcome these barriers. Options for action are shown on the basis of selected practical examples.

The project investigates the potential for greenhouse gas savings through resource efficiency and circular economy measures. Ecologic Institute supports the formulation of resource conservation measures as input for the modelling of GHG saving potentials (WP1 led by GWS). Furthermore, Ecologic Institute is responsible for the scientific support of the European Resource Forum in 2022 and 2024 including the development of background papers.

Despite the widely recognised need to quickly move away from fossil fuels, particularly coal, many countries continue to invest in this highly polluting source of energy. Despite highly country-specific contexts, Ecologic Institute's Dr. Michael Jakob and Prof Dr. Jan C. Steckel (MCC/BTU) found that countries can be grouped into four broad clusters: those that have already announced coal phaseouts; those where coal use is in the process of being phased in; established users of the fuel; and major coal exporters. This guest post briefly presents the key findings of the recently published book, "The Political Economy of Coal".

Concrete and asphalt make cities up to 10 degrees hotter than the rural areas. In Poland, however, there is a persistent impression that greenspace is a nuisance that is best gotten rid of, says Ewa Iwaszuk of the Ecologic Institute in Berlin. She points out that the situation in Germany is better because nature has been considered an indispensable part of the city since the 1990s. She talks about innovative nature-based solutions that can mitigate climate change in cities and explains the introduction of blue-green infrastructure. Monika Sędzierska from the COSMO editorial office moderated the conversation.

The biodiversity and climate crises are increasingly threatening planetary biodiversity and dependent livelihoods. Linkages between these two crises are already recognised by science and policy, but they are still not sufficiently addressed in integrated manner in practice. Nature-based solutions (NBS) and ecosystem-based approaches have the potential to enhance these synergies and deliver multiple benefits for ecosystems, biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, human well-being among other objectives. This topic was explored during the "International workshop on strengthening synergies for biodiversity and climate in multifunctional landscapes", organized by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). Sandra Naumann, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, was a keynote speaker, presenting on the potential but also limitations of NBS to achieve climate and biodiversity goals.