Projects

Project:Horizon Europe
 
As the European Commission develops the CRCF, the need for effective monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems and a detailed registry is becoming more pressing. Against this background, the CAFAMORE project addresses these challenges by developing a harmonised, parcel-level monitoring approach and a geographically explicit registry for carbon farming across the EU.

Carbon Farming Monitoring and Registry (CAFAMORE)

Developing a harmonised monitoring and registry framework for carbon farming in Europe

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The research project analyses the need for integrated strategies in order to ensure sustainable development and preserve the basis of life. The project focuses on analysing the challenges and interactions between the three crisis areas and the question of how measures can be designed to create synergies between climate protection, biodiversity conservation and the reduction of environmental pollution. More crises are being added, e.g. land degradation and food security.

Challenges for International Climate Protection in the Face of the Global Triple Crisis

Climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution

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Ecologic Institute is working together with Biota and the Michael Succow Foundation to identify concrete and practical conflicts of interest in the restoration of peatlands. In addition, Ecologic Institute supports the identification of needs and deficits, the evaluation and development of legally compliant solutions and guidelines for dealing with these conflicting objectives as well as the development of practical guidance manuals.

Mitigate Conflicts of Interest Between Nature Conservation and Climate Protection in Peatland Protection

Development of Guidelines

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MIP Project Soil Deal for Europe Mission Soil
The EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe", or Mission Soil, is an initiative launched by the European Commission to protect and restore soils in Europe. The Mission aims to put soils at the centre of attention, promote sustainable land management practices and improve soil health across all types of land uses and territories in Europe.

Mission Implementation Platform for the EU Mission 'Soil Deal for Europe'

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This project will 1) identify good examples, new and innovative interventions to contribute to biodiversity and climate objectives of the CAP; 2) assess CAP Strategic Plan interventions that correspond to the biodiversity and climate ambitions in the four CAP Strategic Plans of Germany, France, Spain and Poland; 3) analyze whether these interventions correspond to the scientific evidence and whether they are relevant and sufficient; 4) consider co-benefits and trade-offs between different policy objectives.

Innovative Agricultural Interventions to Reach EU Biodiversity and Climate Objectives

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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.

Revising Federal Soil Protection Law

Legal options and drafting for amending the Federal Soil Protection Act

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The briefing provides a didactic overview on carbon farming. Specifically, it summarizes the current scientific understanding of the mitigation potentials, co-benefits and trade-offs of carbon farming, as well as the key agronomic practices and key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to scale up carbon farming and to deliver robust climate mitigation and EU Green Deal objectives.

Carbon Farming

a scientific basis

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In this project, Ecologic Institute in cooperation with Oeko-Institut and Giessen University, analyses measures for climate-friendly soil use and the challenges and opportunities of transfer-based instruments as well as other funding mechanisms to promote these measures. In addition, current legal and political framework conditions for nature-based solutions and climate-friendly soil use will be examined.

Nature-based Solutions for Climate Protection

Financing climate-friendly soil management

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The PRINCESS project is carried out by leading research institutions throughout Europe. It categorizes and evaluates the effects of alternative land use options after peatland rewetting on key EU environmental policies: (1) as a measure to halt biodiversity loss, (2) as a nature-based solution for mitigating and adapting to climate change, and (3) as a management tool to reduce nitrate release and, thus, eutrophication. PRINCESS investigates the interaction of the two main important global change drivers and attempts to take advantage of the coupling between the carbon and nitrogen cycles to maximize benefits from rewetting peatlands.

Peatland Rewetting In Nitrogen-Contaminated Environments (PRINCESS)

Synergies and trade-offs between biodiversity, climate, water quality and Society

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Project:Horizon 2020
 
Land and soils are essential for life on Earth. Yet one third of the global land is considered as degraded and this process is continuing due to higher food production, urbanization and industrial activity. In a new Horizon 2020 project, Ecologic Institute develops a roadmap for research and innovation on soil systems and land management – jointly with stakeholders. The Soil Mission Support project will thus improve coordination in this field and support the EU Mission on Soil Health and Food, the European Green Deal, and contribute to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Soil Mission Support: Towards a European research and innovation roadmap on soils and land management

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Ecologic Institute is member of the European Topic Centre on Urban, Land and Soil System (ETC/ULS) which works with the European Environment Agency (EEA) under a Framework Partnership Agreement for the period from 2019 to 2021. Ecologic Institute's expertise in the ETC/ULS covers soils, forests and land use policy evaluation. In particular, it carries out screening and review of the evolving needs from EU policy regarding geospatial information and indicators. It also reviews the data, information and indicators needs of the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030.

European Topic Centre on Urban, Land and Soil Systems (ETC/ULS) 2019-2021

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In a study for DG FISMA, the Ecologic Institute and its partners supported the Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance in the development of technical screening criteria for agriculture activities to be included in the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. The tasks included: 1) scoping of agriculture activities with significant potential to contribute to mitigation and adaptation; 2) drafting of criteria, metrics and thresholds to ensure that selected activities substantially contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and do not significantly harm any other environmental objectives; 3) supporting research on means for compliance checking; 4) organising a workshop with expert group members; and 5) preparing inputs to support the Impact Assessment of the agricultural components of the Taxonomy. The outcomes of the study were integrated in the Technical Report on EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy.

Assistance in Developing Criteria on Agricultural Activities to be Included in the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy

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Project:Horizon 2020
 
With three quarters of the European Union's population living in cities and further increases expected, societies are increasingly facing socio-political shifts and marginalization. Limited availability of physical space, changing urban demographics, and increasing cultural diversity compound these challenges and create issues like high crime rates, social inequality, poverty, health threats, and unemployment. Some areas are particularly vulnerable, such as economically deprived, abandoned and neglected urban areas with a low share of green spaces. The Horizon2020 funded project “CLEVER Cities” responded to these challenges by designing and implementing locally tailored nature-based solutions (NbS) to foster sustainable and socially inclusive urban regeneration.

Co-designing Locally-tailored Ecological Solutions for Value-added, Socially Inclusive Regeneration in Cities (CLEVER Cities)

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Ecologic Institute provides a legal assessment of whether German law is suitable to achieve the sustainable development goal "land degradation neutral word" (LDN) by 2030, and recommends options for improvement. The project also compiles key insights and lessons learned, in English, as a contribution to the international discussion on implementing LDN. The project results are discussed in an international workshop.

Legal Instruments for Implementing and Achieving Land and Soil-Related SDGs

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The project Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals for Soils aimed to examine how the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target 15.3 on 'Land Degradation Neutrality' could be implemented in Germany and at the global level. Ecologic Institute analysed potential indicators, developed an own indicator concept build on land use changes and developed policy recommendations to implement the SDG 15.3.

Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals for Soils

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Fertile soils are an indispensable resource for agriculture and the Bioeconomy as a whole. Subsoils contain a major part of the nutrients essential for plants, a resource potential that has thus far not yet been fully understood nor used. In order to harness this untapped potential, the Soil³ project examines the subsoil processes and application of alternative subsoil management measures. The Ecologic Institute will conduct research on the costs, benefits and social acceptance of these measures.

Sustainable Subsoil Management as Part of the Bioeconomy (Soil³)

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Veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) and their metabolites are increasingly becoming the focus of scientific and public debate as environmental contaminants. The project developed an overview of research results, mitigation measures and concepts to reduce the inputs of veterinary pharmaceuticals into the environment. The results are summarised in the handbook "Concepts for Mitigating Veterinary Pharmaceutical Inputs from Agriculture into the Environment."

Concepts for Mitigating Veterinary Pharmaceutical Inputs from Agriculture into the Environment

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This project identified the most promising and cost-effective measures at the regional and farm levels to increase the resource efficiency and use of nutrients (N, P, K) and helped to close mineral cycles with a focus on saturated areas. Findings were translated into relevant practical measures for the farming community in highly nutrient-saturated regions in Europe. A consortium composed of BIO by Deloitte and Ecologic Institute, with the contribution of several European research institutes, conducted this project on behalf of DG Environment.

Resource Efficiency in Practice – Closing Mineral Cycles

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Project:FP 7
 
from 2013 until 2018, the RECARE project applied a transdisciplinary approach, actively integrating and advancing knowledge of stakeholders and scientists in 17 case studies, to identify and develop effective measures for improved soil protection in Europe. Ecologic Institute developed policy briefs on the topics "Soil Sealing and Land Take", "Subsoil compaction" and "Remediating Historical Soil Contamination, as well as co-wrote the brochure with the most important project findings. The policy briefs and the project brochure are available for download.

Preventing and Remediating Soil Degradation (RECARE)

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Fertile land areas to produce agricultural and forestry products are globally only available in a limited amount. The land footprint is a suitable indicator in order to assist the analysis of global land use related to consumption of a country or region and to monitor land use. Within this study a review of land flow studies and accounting methodologies is undertaken in order to elaborate recommendation for the methodology of future land footprint calculations. However, the land footprint is as an area-based indicator and unable to illustrate a large number of land-related environmental issues. The project therefore also provides an overview and discussion on possible environmental impact oriented indicators. Finally, the project team undertakes a calculation of possible indicators for the case of Germany based on the developed recommendations.

Land Footprint – Evaluation of Existing Studies and Development of Impact Oriented Land Use Indicators

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The pressure on land and natural resources is increasing worldwide. While there are many sectoral policies tackling different environmental problems, land use is not regulated in an integrated and overarching way. The discussion on sustainable biofuels and biomass highlights the continued lack of an effective and innovative framework to deal with complex land-use issues. The aim of the GLOBALANDS project is to identify existing land use policies and develop possible governance tools towards a more resource efficient and sustainable global land use.

Global Land Use and Sustainability (GLOBALANDS)

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Ecologic Institute writes a legal commentary on the German PRTR-Act. Under this law and an EU-Regulation, operators of certain installations in Germany have to report data on pollutants for publication in a German as well as to a European pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR). The legal commentary is mainly addressed at authorities and operators to facilitate the application of the rules without in-depth knowledge on their legal background.

Commentary on the German PRTR law

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In order to meet the goals of the EU Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, soil protection will need to be further integrated in other policy areas. For this reason, an analysis of the measures adopted by the Member States in plans and programs pursuant to certain pieces of Community and international legislation is required. The EUSOIL project aided to this task and identified, described and evaluated the measures taken under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), Cross Compliance Instrument (CC) and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) concerning their contribution to soil conservation.

Evaluation of Soil Protection Measures (EUSOIL)

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The increased use of renewable resources has several positive environmental effects in comparison to the use of fossil fuel. Nevertheless, with an extended cultivation of energy crops and other renewable resources, there may also be negative consequences on soil quality. The evaluation of these effects is the focus of this project.

Soil Protection and Renewable Resources

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How can the rate of land consumed on greenfield sites for purposes of urban development and traffic be reduced? Which instruments are most appropriate to use in reaching this goal? How significant will fiscal, economic, regulatory and planning tools be in reducing and managing land development? Which tasks will have to be carried out at the national, regional and local level to support this aim? These and other vital questions were discussed at the Workshop Land Use Planning and Management at the Local Level.

Land Use Planning and Management at the Local Level

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Soil is the basis of all economic and cultural activities; however, this "fundamental" economic value of soil is barely recognised. As part of a project for the European Commission, Ecologic and the French Geological Survey (BRGM) will therefore estimate the economic consequences that the continued degradation of European soils implies.

Economic Assessment of Soil Deterioration

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Land consumption in Germany, which is caused mainly by the construction of transportation infrastructure and new housing projects, currently stands at the alarmingly high rate of 130 ha a day. Funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and in cooperation with the Leipniz Institute for Ecological and Regional Development (IÖR), Ecologic is analyzing the contribution of nature protection policy to reducing and managing the demand for land use in Germany. At the centre of this research lie the instruments of nature conservation policy, such as the creation of protected areas, the European Flora and Fauna Directive, Environmental Impact Assessment and landscape planning.

Land Use - Strategies, Instruments and Measures for Nature Conservation

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Policy makers increasingly need accurate and timely information to meet reporting requirements linked to environmental legislation and decision making. This project explored the extent to which Earth Observation (EO) services can help meet the special reporting requirements of two important European Union (EU) environmental policy areas, namely the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Soil Protection Initiative (SPI).

Service for the Provision of Advanced Geo-Information on Environmental Pressure and State (SAGE)

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This project's report outlines the existing opportunities for extensive precautionary soil protection from a scientific point of view. It will be a part of the expert report "Possibilities for an Extensive Soil Protection" of the Scientific Advisory Council for Soil Protection of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

Scientific Basis for a Precautionary Soil Protection

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Aiming to create a common basis for the development of soil protection policies and to facilitate the exchange of experiences between the representatives of European Member States and other European Countries the First European Soil Forum took place from 24 until 26 November 1999 in Berlin.

First European Soil Forum

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