A new report by the Ecologic Institute and the Oeko-Institut explores the role of carbon removals in the EU's climate framework for 2040. The report gives an overview of past trends in carbon removals in the EU, and explores possible contributions from natural and technical sinks to reaching the 2040 climate target. With a focus on measures and policies governing and incentivizing carbon removals, the report also examines the extent to which temporary and permanent carbon removals can contribute to achieving the EU's 2040 target.
This report by the Ecologic Institute and the Oeko-Institut provides an overview of design options for the EU's 2040 climate target and options for the implementation framework. The report discusses reforms how to make the EU climate policy framework fit for achieving the 2040 climate target.
The agriculture and land sectors must mitigate greenhouse gas emissions for the EU to meet its climate targets. In a new report published by the European Commission's DG CLIMA, Ecologic Institute, IEEP, and Trinomics investigate how an emissions trading system (ETS) could price greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities, and how this can be accompanied by providing farmers and other landowners with financial incentives to carry out land-based carbon removals.
The CLEVER Cities Guidance is an online platform conceptualized by Ecologic Institute to give you unique insight into the multifaceted world of sustainable urban development. This introductory video aims to raise not only the interest but also the engagement of stakeholders from local governments, the academic community and the public and to bridge the gap between the different target groups. The video takes you through the CLEVER Cities Guidance, clearly highlighting the concrete contribution it makes in the context of sustainable urban development.
Recognizing the European Union's (EU) influential role in shaping NBS conceptualization, we undertook a qualitative content analysis of 38 EU policies to discern opportunities and limitations in implementing ponds and pondscapes as nature-based solutions (NBS). While our primary focus is on these aquatic habitats, their ubiquity and diverse benefits enable extrapolation to broader implications for NBS in the EU.
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.
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), their metabolites, and transformation products often act as pollutants in the environment, impacting both human health and ecosystems. To tackle this issue, an efficient, long-term prevention strategy involves designing APIs with reduced environmental impact – greener APIs. This involves incorporating environmental parameters into the Research and Development (R&D) process. This article explores the feasibility of designing greener APIs, drawing insights from drug design experts in major research-based pharmaceutical companies.
Ecologic Institute designed and developed the MoorNet website and embedded peatland protection database. In addition, the website offers a filterable list of peatland-related events as well as quick access to the overview of already gained knowledge. Stakeholders in peatland protection are invited to add content to the database.
This report summarises key findings and recommendations for a strategy to promote more plant-based diets. This strategy is key for a sustainable transformation of food systems as so far, there is a lack of binding policy targets for sustainable nutrition to guide actions, and indicators to enable monitoring. This report discusses different options for targets and indicators, drawing on the concept of planetary boundaries and the Planetary Health Diet.
The German climate debate currently seems to be stuck. It needs a push. Brakes need to be released. Whether and how this could be possible is discussed by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the Tagesspiegel.
The CLEVER Cities Guidance online platform developed by Ecologic Institute features insights, tools, indicators and lessons learned about nature-based solutions (NBS) emerging out of the CLEVER Cities project and its nine partner cities. Filling a gap in available resources, the Guidance focuses on (1) policy and planning strategies, (2) how to generate and measure social impacts of NBS, and (3) approaches for co-creation and engaging stakeholders.
This report provides an independent, systematic analysis of the structures, activities, and impacts of Germany’s Energy, Climate, Development, and Raw Materials Partnerships (ECDRPs). A particular focus lies on the partnerships with countries of the Global South. Based on the analysis, the report provides recommendations for the development of Germany’s partnerships by answering the central question: How can Germany's ECDRPs be made as impactful as possible and more transformative for a resilient transition towards climate neutrality in Germany and its partner countries?
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.
National climate framework laws have become a common approach for establishing the governance machinery required to tackle the transition to a climate neutral society. This memo serves as a brief update on the status and substance of such laws in Europe as of summer 2023, with a focus on framework laws aimed at achieving long-term transformational change.
The complex interactions between nature, climate change, and mental health are being increasingly explored amid increasing environmental challenges facing society. This infographic summarizes the key findings of the report "The Nature – Climate Change – Mental Health Nexus. A literature review". It visualizes these connections, focusing on (1) how mental health is affected by the effects of a changing climate in Europe, and (2) how green spaces and nature-based solutions can play a role in reducing and treating those negative effects.
The complex interactions between nature, climate change, and mental health are being increasingly explored amid increasing environmental challenges facing society. This study explores these connections, focusing on (1) how mental health is affected by the effects of a changing climate in Europe, and (2) how green spaces and nature-based solutions can play a role in reducing and treating those negative effects. The research uncovers the transformative power of promoting a harmonious relationship with the natural world to nurture our collective ecological and social resilience.
Recent Multimedia Publications by Ecologic Institute
Event:Conference
In a three-day series of events in Brussels from 5 to 7 December 2023, partners from the Kopernikus project Ariadne present important findings from their work that are relevant for the further development of EU climate and energy policy. They discuss these with representatives from political institutions, science, civil society and business. Participants can look forward to a varied program with workshops on current topics such as the future electricity market design, challenges of the energy transition, improvement of the EU governance mechanism, the role of household surveys in climate policy or the integration of negative emissions into the ETS.
Join us on 23-24 November 2023 in the city of Envigado (Colombia), for a special conference and engagement event, through which you will be able to learn in detail from Envigado's experience, as well as from the examples of other cities from the Cities Talk Nature community of practice, and the expertise of the INTERLACE project partners.
The CLEVER Cities Guidance is an online platform conceptualized by Ecologic Institute to give you unique insight into the multifaceted world of sustainable urban development. This introductory video aims to raise not only the interest but also the engagement of stakeholders from local governments, the academic community and the public and to bridge the gap between the different target groups. The video takes you through the CLEVER Cities Guidance, clearly highlighting the concrete contribution it makes in the context of sustainable urban development.