The EU Effort Sharing Regulation is of great importance for EU climate policy, but its revision hardly gets public attention. This is a problem. Without a public debate, important structural issues of EU climate policy could be set wrong. In the Tagesspiegel Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf makes proposals for a good outcome of the trialogue negotiations.

In her plans for 2023 addressed to the EU Parliament, President of the EU Commission von der Leyen did not mention the proposal for a Sustainable Food System legislative framework (SFSF). This created speculation about the timeframe of this key proposal, which has been put forward as a cornerstone of the EU Green Deal for the agri-food sector. This blogpost, co-signed by members of the Think Sustainable Europe network, underlines the importance of the SFSF to be proposed next year in order to drive a sustainable transition of the EU food system, given the urgency of such a transition.

The Commission's proposal on the certification of Carbon Dioxide Removals (CDR) could be a milestone of EU climate policy making. It can put the EU on the right track – with a watertight CDR definition, and a firewall between removals and reductions; or the wrong track – dubious low-impact carbon removal schemes that pretend to offset what cannot be offset. As the integrity of EU climate policy is at stake, the EU cannot afford to take the wrong turn, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the EU Observer.

This Think 2030 policy brief proceeds in five parts. Section 1 defines what a sustainable agri-food system should look like according to the scientific literature and how an Sustainable Food System (SFS) law could bring EU food systems more in line with the evidence. Section 2 then explores the potential objectives of a law and how to define a sustainable EU agri-food system. Section 3 discusses the architecture of the law, and section 4 explores the need for a multi-level governance framework involving Member States. Finally, the conclusion considers possible political pathways to the achievement of an ambitious SFS law. The policy brief is available for download.

Is infinite economic growth possible in a world with finite natural resources? For many environmentalists the answer to this question is a clear no. But economists, such as Dr. Michael Jakob of Ecologic Institute, often disagree, emphasising that economic growth can occur as productivity increases, even as consumption of natural resources and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions decrease. His guest op-ed is available online.

Record high energy prices and inflation are putting social cohesion in Germany under stress. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf discusses in the IPG Journal whether this will divide Germany or not. The article is available online.

Member State policies for CO2 removal lack basics – a big problem for society. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf discusses possible solutions in the Tagesspiegel.

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.

This policy brief investigates the gaps in the existing international treaties on marine plastic pollution and proposes components that need to be considered in a new treaty. These proposals will complement the G20 work on plastic pollution. Furthermore, since the G20 summit will be held in Indonesia in 2022, the focus of this policy brief will not only be relevant to G20 countries but also to Southeast Asia as the biggest contributor of marine plastics.

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.

The regulatory framework for the transformation to a climate-neutral industry has evolved. To take account of the changes, we have revised our analysis on the role of climate protection contracts in the steel industry, which was mainly based on data from 2020. This updated study analyzes how climate protection agreements in the steel industry can be designed in such a way that – in conjunction with the reform of European climate policy – they have an impact on climate protection, energy security and a meaningful transformation of the economy as a whole.

This study presents innovative processes and technologies of the circular economy. The case studies come from a range of industries that are of particular importance to Hesse and demonstrate the broad applicability of the technologies presented. The case studies are split into five main groups, each containing a few innovative and sustainable projects by various institutions and firms. They also offer insights into the economic and ecological advantages of the projects and provide the readers with a thorough understanding of the processes.

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.

In this open access book, Dr. Josselin Rouillard together with Christina Babbitt (Environment Defense Fund, U.S.), Edward Challies (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) and Jean-Daniel Rinaudo (BRGM, France) compile an international account of water allocation policies supporting a transition to sustainable water use in regions where agriculture is the dominant water use.

In the fourth episode of the "Green Deal—Big Deal?" podcast, we ask our expert guests about the food systems approach adopted by the "Farm to fork" strategy and investigate how the strategy will impact producers, consumers and the global food markets. We discuss strategies to address food waste and explore why meat is a politically sensitive topic

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".

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.

Preparations are currently underway for negotiations on a global plastics treaty. The treaty is intended to respond to the increasing plastic pollution, especially of the oceans, which requires international cooperation along the value chain and thus binding rules at the international level. The timetable for the negotiations is extremely ambitious, with a draft to be available as early as the end of 2024. In her editorial, Heidi Stockhaus highlights the global dimension of the problem and points to the responsibility of Germany and the EU to help the negotiation process succeed.