This sectoral brief examines how EU policy and practice can steer forestry toward a nature-positive economy. It was developed under the EU research project GoNaturePositive!

As part of the EU-funded GoNaturePositive! project, five sectoral briefs were developed to explore how key economic sectors can contribute to a nature-positive economy. Covering agri-food systems, built environment, forestry, tourism, and the blue economy, these concise documents present the challenges, opportunities, and policy recommendations needed to transform these sectors – helping balance economic activity with ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation. The briefs are designed to guide upcoming project activities, including setting priorities, tackling policy barriers, and supporting targeted actions at project pilot sites.

D3.6 presents an expanded set of over 15 climate service tools developed within the REACHOUT project. Aligned with the Triple-A framework, the tools support cities across all adaptation phases and have been tested through co-creation with seven European City Hubs. The report highlights practical applications, integration potential, and readiness levels—laying the groundwork for a future digital platform.

For five days, experts from politics, science and environmental organisations discussed more protection for the oceans at the 3rd UN Ocean Conference in Nice: Climate change, overfishing and pollution are threatening marine biodiversity worldwide. Europeans were strongly represented, as were countries from the Global South, as well as important G20 countries such as Australia, India, Brazil and China. Dr Grit Martinez took part in the UN Ocean Conference on behalf of Ecologic Institute's Coastal and Marine Research Division. At the conference, a sincere commitment to the protection and sustainable use of the oceans was evident.

On 4 June 2025, children from Berlin's Schinkel Elementary School embarked on a new mission as part of the Citizen-Science Project Plastic Pirates Go Europe! – to investigate plastic waste by the River Spree. Together with Doris Knoblauch and Hannah Brunkhorst (both Ecologic Institute), the pirates explored the riverbank and made a few exciting discoveries.

This project supports Carbon Market Watch to address the specific challenges of integrating temporary sequestration credits into EU agri-food climate policy. In assessing the policy options currently under discussion – emissions trading systems, mandatory climate standards, and public procurement – and examines the implications of CRCF use within these frameworks. The project also provides recommendations on how temporary carbon sequestration can be supported in a way that is environmentally credible, practically feasible, and aligned with broader EU climate objectives.

This hands-on guidance document supports regional actors in designing viable business models for the bioeconomy. Based on practical experiences from five Open Innovation Platforms (OIPs) across Europe, it outlines how to analyse regional market conditions, engage diverse stakeholders and translate promising bio-based product ideas into actionable business strategies. The result: a modular toolkit to unlock local biomass potential and drive sustainable rural development.

As part of the EU-funded REACHOUT project, a first collection of climate service tools was developed to support cities in adapting to climate change. The publication D3.5 - Guidelines for Climate Service Tools provides a structured overview of twelve technical and "soft" tools that are brought together in the Triple-A Toolkit - a methodological framework covering the phases of analysis, ambition and action. The tools were co-created and tested in close cooperation with seven European City Hubs and offer practical solutions for climate-resilient urban development - from data-based analyses to participatory formats.

This framework sets out a holistic approach to foster community-driven bioeconomy development across six rural European areas. Building on a four-phase methodology – establishing regional knowledge and platforms; cross-regional knowledge transfer; creation of a pan-European Community of Practice; and dissemination – the report aligns with the European Green Deal and the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It identifies relevant biomass streams (from sawdust and agricultural residues to hemp and olive by-products) and outlines valorization options that drive local innovation while respecting ecological limits.

This brief examines how policymakers, industry and practitioners can steer the built environment toward a nature-positive future by integrating ecological resilience and quality of life with economic development. It was developed under the EU research project GoNaturePositive!

How does subsoil management affect the provision of ecosystem services – and what is its economic value to society? These questions are at the heart of a study by Sophie Ittner, Holger Gerdes and Zoritza Kiresiewa from Ecologic Institute. Using a Benefit Transfer approach, the authors assess the societal costs and benefits of two subsoil management practices in German agriculture. The results demonstrate that sustainable subsoil management can generate not only ecological, but also substantial economic value – offering important insights for targeted support through agri-environmental policy.

Ecologic Institut provides scientific and technical analysis on key water action areas and supports the European Commission in assessing the enforcement of EU water legislation, especially the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive.

Eurostat's "Sustainable Development in the European Union: Monitoring Report on Progress towards the SDGs in an EU Context" (2025 edition) offers the ninth comprehensive assessment of the EU's journey toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Researchers from Ecologic Institute authored the chapters on Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life Below Water (SDG 14), Life on Land (SDG 15) and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17), providing rigorous, policy-relevant evidence.

This ETC-BE Report examines how targeted water-saving interventions can bolster the resilience of both ecosystems and key economic sectors in the face of climate change. The central question is: Which technical, economic and governance levers can unlock the water-savings potential in agriculture, electricity production, manufacturing and public water supply, and how can these be operationalized? Gerardo Anzaldúa and Levin Scholl (Ecologic Institute) explored how the industrial sector in Europe is dealing with this question, and provided critical insights on potentials and enablers.

The brief explores how EU policies can accelerate a nature-positive transition in agriculture – balancing food production with ecosystem health.