The objective of transformative research is to find out, together with actors from the corporate sector, politics and civil society, how our economic and social system can be made more sustainable, and to jointly test possible solutions. Transformative research is thus also transdisciplinary - it involves actors beyond academia as equal partners. This kind of research involves certain methodological challenges and questions; some of these were discussed at the tF Symposium 2021: From Experiment to Mainstream. Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers and Christiane Gerstetter, both Senior Fellows at the Ecologic Institute, contributed to the online symposium, which was held in German language.

To provide the G20 leaders with scientific advice, Think20 – a group of think tanks and academia from G20 countries – will work over the upcoming months on policy papers and recommendations.

How can think tanks serve as a catalyst for ideas and action? In view of a challenging year of dual public health and environmental crises, Dr. Camilla Bausch addressed this question at the Why Think Tanks Matter Forum. The forum brought together more than 700 think tank professionals from all around the world.

We all separate waste. But that is not enough. We have to make sure that garbage is not produced in the first place. All resources have to be recycled again and again in cycles. At the Sustainability Forum of Neumarkter Lammsbräu, Lisa Fiedler of the VAUDE Sustainability Academy, Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart of Cradle to Cradle, Timothy Glaz of Werner & Mertz GmbH and Hannes Schritt of Ecologic Institute Berlin discussed how fast we have to be to save our planet.

How to increase regional food production and consumption for and in cities? That was the guiding question for the panel discussion with Stephanie Wunder, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, Wolfram Günther, Saxon Minister of Agriculture, Valentin Thurn, film director and chairman of the Cologne Food Policy Council and Jörg Naumann, farmer and representative of the alliance "Land schafft Verbindung" on 9 September 2020 at the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden.

The current global pandemic presents both risks and opportunities for the transition to a more sustainable future in Europe. At the launch event for the newest report of the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU), Dr. Camilla Bausch discussed the importance of the European Green Deal at this moment of crisis with Prof. Dr. Christian Calliess.

In September 2019, the European Commission organized the 'European Research & Innovation Days' to shape the EU's future research and innovation policy. Holger Gerdes, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, had been invited to take part in a panel discussion, which focused on the challenges and potentials of bio-based products and innovations. The video recordings from the session can be watched online.

While Greta Thunberg was delivering her impassioned speech at the UN Climate Action Summit and during a time in which Germany occupies a seat in the UN Security Council, the Study Group on Strategic Issues of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) discussed the climate-security nexus. Dr. Camilla Bausch (Ecologic Institute) contributed her insights on the interface between climate and security, how it is addressed in the international climate context and highlighted some policy recommendations.

Environmental journalism has always been a cross-cutting topic. There are journalists in many countries who specialise in environmental topics. However, environmental topics mostly do not have their own department at media outlets. Hence, publishing such media pieces often highly depends on current political processes and above all on current, public discussions. Ecologic Institute's Marius Hasenheit discussed the role of media, especially social media, in communicating environmental issues in Egypt, at the 61st Cairo Climate Talks.

The 2019 European Think Tank Summit in Madrid brought together think tank leaders from all over Europe – and some guests from Asia and America – to discuss pressing political issues, including the changing face of Europe, artificial intelligence, migration, NATO and the role of think tanks. Ecologic Institute's Director, Dr. Camilla Bausch, elaborated on new policy approaches and public engagement strategies in the field of national and international climate protection.

On 19 March 2019, Cairo Climate Talks brought together experts from all disciplines to discuss the results of COP24 and the needed action for COP25. Climate negotiators, climate science experts, and policy makers shared their valuable insights. Arne Riedel, Fellow at Ecologic Institute in Berlin and member of the German delegation to the UN climate negotiations took place on the panel discussion.

How do policymakers balance future climate and energy security issues in light of a rapidly changing world? Dr. Camilla Bausch addressed the dynamic geopolitical energy landscape and some associated security concerns for Germany and Europe in a controversial debate with a group of transatlantic Parliamentarians from across the aisle. This was part of the 16th Annual Congress-Bundestag Forum by the German Marshall Fund.

Senator Bernie Sanders invited some of the most prominent voices in America to the US Congress to discuss how to handle the increasing threat of climate change. Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute reflected on global trends in the field of energy, climate policy, and business.

During this panel discussion, moderated by R. Andreas Kraemer, the performance promises of companies in the digital economy were examined from a scientific and practical perspective, and challenges for company rating and concerns for ethical investment were explored.