This policy brief outlines recommendations for sustainable and socially accepted subsoil management in Germany. Subsoil, located below the plowed topsoil layer, holds essential nutrients and water reserves crucial for plant growth and sustainable bioeconomy practices. The Soil³ project (2015–2025) investigated methods to enhance subsoil usage, focusing on increasing plant root access to this layer without compromising its ecological functions.

In this policy brief, we outline ten recommendations towards transformative EU climate policy.

This policy brief highlights the need for a systemic and integrated approach to support the transition to climate friendly and resilient agri-food systems in CEE countries. The brief underlines how the key policy instruments that countries have at their disposal – the Common Agricultural Policy, National Energy and Climate Plans, and policies to support sustainable food consumption – can be better used to support such an integrated approach. Finally, the brief points to the importance of setting clear goals, as well as developing societal support, and capacities for the transition.

The Policy Brief discusses how a dedicated SPI should be established as a subsidiary body that works effectively with existing science-policy panels of other Multilateral Environmental Agreements. Such an interface would not only promote synergy between different environmental initiatives, but also ensure that scientific findings are accurately translated into actionable policy recommendations. The main tasks of the SPI include the evaluation and monitoring of intervention strategies, the setting of science-based reduction targets and the continuous updating of safety and sustainability-related criteria for plastics and chemicals.

Amidst intense global efforts to tackle plastic pollution, the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty highlights the critical role of reducing primary plastic polymers. The Scientists' Coalition, consisting of leading scientists worldwide, argues in its latest policy brief that without a significant reduction in the production of these polymers, the effective fight against plastic pollution is not possible. The urgent call aims to draw attention to the need to break the plastic cycle at its source - the production of primary plastic polymers. This approach is crucial as it directly reduces the amount of plastics that end up in our environment.

This briefing reviews the European Commission's first ever assessment of progress towards the 2050 climate neutrality target. Furthermore, it proposes steps that could be taken in the next two years to improve the system and provide a compass for the path to climate neutrality.

This policy brief offers a nuanced analysis of the outcomes from CBD COP15. It particularly focuses on the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and its ramifications for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The document articulates policy recommendations designed to ensure the GBF’s ambitious restoration targets are achieved efficiently and on schedule.

Securing agricultural land is a relevant challenge. The authors of the policy brief see a number of different approaches to safeguarding agricultural areas against other land use claims and are primarily addressing the state and municipal levels. The authors argue that the topics of agriculture, food, sustainability and rural development should be more closely integrated. They also recommend using spatial planning instruments to curb the current consumption of agricultural land and thus protect it from conversion.

How can companies and societies effectively design the shift towards greater sustainability? This policy brief highlights the importance of sustainable production methods, investments, and nature-positive supply chains for the restoration of ecosystems and outlines action approaches for a sustainable future.

This policy paper addresses the restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems. It advocates for synergies among UN decades and underscores the need to integrate various approaches to restoring marine and coastal ecosystems.

As governments engage in final preparations for COP28 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Presidency continues to prioritise its Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda. The aim to have governments at COP28 commit to integrating sustainable agriculture in their national climate agendas is welcome, timely and essential. But, it would need to be part of a larger effort to modernise agricultural policy, particularly with respect to agricultural subsidies and the role of private sector collaboration. This policy brief highlights priority areas in moving from political declarations to concrete action.

This paper analyses the role of the UNCCD in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, linking the UNCCD's key objective of achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) with the concerns and objectives of the UN Decade.

In an increasingly interlinked and globalized world, indigenous peoples and local communities are essential for the preservation of their rights, cultures and access to land and resources. What role do they play in the dialog around environmental protection and social justice? This policy paper sheds light on the challenges and opportunities for indigenous peoples and local communities and explores how their voices can be heard and respected in international forums.

This policy paper addresses the restoration of freshwater ecosystems. It delves into a policy milieu where the UN Decades of Ecosystem Restoration and the Water Decade emerge as pivotal, particularly bolstering SDGs 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and 14 (Life Below Water). The paper offers policy recommendations that advocate for the integration of specific measures into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), alongside the proposal for a binding international water treaty and the appointment of a UN special representative for water.

This paper makes a proposal for how future EU agricultural policy and particularly funding structures should evolve to better reflect sustainability challenges whilst supporting farmers and other land managers in a transition that also ensures viable businesses and vibrant rural areas. This is intended as a contribution to a wider debate on the future of EU food systems.