Publications

Publication:Article
 
The European Commission’s proposed Omnibus Simplification Package aims to streamline the authorisation of pesticides and reduce regulatory burdens within the European Union. However, a new Policy Forum article published in Science argues that the proposal could significantly weaken environmental risk assessment procedures and increase risks to biodiversity and human health. According to the authors, the current EU pesticide framework already contains important gaps, including insufficient consideration of impacts on many non-target organisms, cumulative effects of multiple pesticides, and sublethal ecological impacts. Rather than addressing these shortcomings, the Omnibus proposal may exacerbate them.

EU Omnibus Proposal Increases Pesticide Risks

More efficient environmental risk assessment and stronger protection are achievable

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
This policy brief, developed within the Horizon Europe project CAFAMORE, examines the proposed EU Buyers’ Club for carbon farming. The brief sets out how the Club should be designed to support early demand for CRCF carbon farming certificates while ensuring environmental integrity and that it benefits farmers.

The Do’s and Don’ts of a Buyers’ Club

Recommendations for an EU Buyers’ Club for Carbon Farming

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
The policy brief highlights the need for a fundamental shift in how pesticides are used in European agriculture. Rather than further optimising chemical inputs, agricultural systems need to be reoriented more broadly. To support this transition, the brief outlines concrete policy measures at EU level, including binding pesticide reduction targets, stronger support for agroecological approaches, the development of independent advisory services, fairer value chains, and increased transparency in pesticide use.

Transitioning Away from Pesticide Dependency

EU policy recommendations

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Publication:Report
 
The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC) has published the report “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Agri-food Sector – Recommendations for a Coherent EU Policy”. The report calls on the EU to better integrate climate mitigation and adaptation across the entire value chain. Its aim is to safeguard food security, strengthen farmers’ livelihoods and align the agri-food system with the EU’s climate goals.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Agri-food Sector

Recommendations for coherent EU policies

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Publication:Book Section
 
As Europe seeks to restore its degraded freshwater ecosystems, a key question comes into focus: is the EU’s main agricultural policy delivering on its environmental promises? In a new paper published in the special issue Wetlands in a Changing Climate: Restoring Coasts and Floodplains, Dr Josselin Rouillard examines whether the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027 is effectively supporting freshwater restoration.

Does the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027 Support the Restoration of Freshwater Ecosystems?

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Publication:Report
 
The CAP Strategic Plans (CSPs) bring together a wide range of instruments designed to address environmental and climate objectives. This combination of instruments is referred to as 'green architecture' (GA). These guidelines support managing authorities and evaluators in assessing how these instruments function collectively. The focus is not on individual measures in isolation but on analysing the GA as an integrated system.

Evaluation of the Green Architecture of the CAP Strategic Plans

Guidelines

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
This policy brief assesses how relevant CAP instruments currently address pesticide use and identifies adjustments to better support and accelerate the transition toward more sustainable farming practices.

Using the CAP to Reduce Pesticide Dependence

Creating the Conditions for Structural Change

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
This policy brief examines how current climate-action rewarding mechanisms address – or fail to address – organic farming as a systemic and climate-resilient approach. It analyses existing monetary, regulatory and supportive instruments at EU level, with a particular focus on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation.

Incentivising Systemic and Climate-resilient Farming Approaches through Rewarding Mechanisms

Barriers, challenges and recommendations

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Publication:Report
 
This publication provides a quantitative overview of the development and status of environmental crime in Germany between 2013 and 2024, based on data from the police crime statistics ("Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik") and the Federal Statistical Office's criminal prosecution statistics ("Strafverfolgungsstatistik"). The report provides both an overview of general trends and an in-depth account of individual environmental offences. The report was prepared by a team from Ecologic Institute on behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency.

Umweltdelikte 2024

Auswertung von Statistiken

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Publication:Postcard
 
Two information postcards have been developed for the Market Information Talks for the Organic Sector 2026. The postcards support communication for the dialogue series and draw attention to key challenges along organic value chains in Brandenburg.

Market Information Talks for the Organic Sector 2026 – Postcards

Information postcards for the Market Information Talks 2026

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Publication:Report
 
This report contributes to a better understanding of the economic implications of climate change adaptation across the European Union. Its central objective is to analyse three key dimensions: the costs of adapting to climate change, the costs of inaction, and current levels of adaptation funding. The analysis focuses on three climate-sensitive sectors of strategic importance for the EU economy and society: transport, energy, and agriculture.

Knowledge Development and Application Concerning Costs of Adaptation Compard to Costs of Inaction

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Publication:Report
 
The triple planetary crisis is a systemic challenge, not three separate issues: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution reinforce one another through shared drivers and feedback, threatening planetary and human well-being. It is driven by fossil fuel dependence, unsustainable production and consumption, overexploitation of land and resources, and structural inequalities. The analysis concludes that the triple crisis can only be effectively addressed through systemic, cross-sectoral, and justice-oriented approaches. By linking resource governance, NbS, and transformative change, this report highlights how today’s triple crisis can be turned into an opportunity to regenerate ecosystems, reduce inequalities, and build resilient societies within planetary boundaries.

Moving from Interconnected Crises to Systemic Solutions

Resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and systemic transformation as responses to the complexity of the triple planetary crisis

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Publication:Fact Sheet
 
This fact sheet summarizes the information contained in the publication Burgos Cuevas et al. (2025): Moving from interconnected crises to systemic solutions. Resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and systemic transformation as responses to the complexity of the triple planetary crisis. Interim report, Climate Change 83/2025. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau. https://doi.org/10.60810/openumwelt-8108.

Moving from Interconnected Crises to Systemic Solutions

Resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and systemic transformation as responses to the complexity of the triple planetary crisis

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Publication:Report
 
Climate change is exacerbating drought, low water levels, and heavy rainfall in German river basins, posing new challenges for agriculture, forestry, water management, ecosystems, and municipal planning. Against this backdrop, the project KliMaWerk investigated how the landscape water balance can be made climate-resilient through integrated, practical strategies and measures. The KliMaWerk final report summarises the key findings and strategic conclusions.

Nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung des Landschaftswasserhaushaltes zur Erhöhung der Klimaresilienz (KliMaWerk)

Management und Werkzeuge

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Publication:Report
 
This report, by Ecologic Institute and Öko-Institut, explores how emerging EU policy instruments – such as the proposed Agricultural Emissions Trading System (AgETS), Mandatory Climate Standards (MCS), and public procurement programmes – can integrate carbon farming while maintaining high environmental standards. The study highlights both the opportunities and the pitfalls of linking these policies to the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF) and its system of temporary certified carbon units – and investigates alternative approaches to promote carbon farming.

Temporary Carbon Units from Carbon Farming and EU Agri-food Climate Policy

Assessment of risks, opportunities, and alternatives for promoting carbon farming

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Publication:Report
 
Europe's agricultural sector holds tremendous potential to advance climate and environmental goals, but realizing that potential depends on the right mix of funding and targeted support. A new report led by Ecologic Institute, together with partners in the Climate Farm Demo (CFD) project, introduces a framework to better understand and navigate the wide variety of rewarding mechanisms that encourage farmers to adopt climate-smart practices.

Incentivizing Farm-level Climate Action through Rewarding Mechanisms

A categorization framework

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Publication:Report
 
On 25 September 2025, the Sowing Solutions: Science & Policy for a Sustainable and Thriving EU Agriculture event, organized by the Environmental Defense Fund Europe, explored these challenges. A dedicated session on "livestock methane in CAP Strategic Plans" brought together scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders to share evidence and discuss how the CAP can drive real impact. The goal was to spark fresh thinking, informed debate, and practical pathways forward.

Leveraging the Common Agricultural Policy to Accelerate Livestock Emission Reductions

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
With the 2027 deadline of the Water Framework Directive approaching and the new Nature Restoration Regulation mandating large-scale ecosystem recovery, the CAP’s role in safeguarding rivers, wetlands, and catchments has become critical. This Policy Working Paper argues that long-term agricultural resilience is inseparable from healthy freshwater ecosystems and illustrates how water restoration can be embedded in future agricultural policies to enhance water resilience.

Restoring Healthy Rivers and Wetlands

How can agricultural policies support the uptake of water resilient farming practices?

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Publication:Report
 
This report published under the EU-funded GoNaturePositive! project offers a comprehensive baseline assessment to support the transition toward a nature-positive economy. The report provides an in-depth analysis of EU policy instruments and co-operative initiatives, identifying their alignment with nature positive principles and opportunities to reduce environmental harm, restore ecosystems, and foster systemic change.

Mapping Policy and Co-operative Initiative Landscapes for Systemic Change Towards a Nature-positive Economy

GoNaturePositive! Report

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
The brief explores how EU policies can accelerate a nature-positive transition in agriculture – balancing food production with ecosystem health.

Agri-food Systems

Sectoral Brief

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
Cover of a TESS Briefing Note titled “Identifying and Tackling Environmentally Harmful Agricultural Subsidies in the WTO: Note on Greenhouse Gas Emissions” by Anthony Cox, published in May 2025. The cover features a photo of black and white dairy cows grazing on green grass.
Prepared by Anthony Cox (Senior Policy Advisor at Ecologic Institute), this briefing note offers an up-to-date overview of how the agricultural sector contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It identifies key social, economic, and environmental trade-offs and highlights the importance of context when assessing emission impacts. The note also provides guidance on prioritising reforms of agricultural subsidies.

Identifying and Tackling Environmentally Harmful Agricultural Subsidies in the WTO

Note on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the report with colorful tiles showing photos of agricultural scenes in the background
The bioeconomy concept presents an attractive framework for policymakers in Europe, as it holds the potential to foster innovations that match specific community needs with regionally available resources. The SCALE-UP project aims to enhance the capacity and expertise of multi-actor partnerships to accelerate the development of market-ready bio-based products and services while facilitating their successful market deployment. Additionally, SCALE-UP strengthens collaboration among primary producers, SMEs, industry clusters, social actors, and policymakers, promoting a cohesive approach to innovation.

12 Small-scale Business Models Explored in the SCALE-UP Regions

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Publication:Report
 
The Report on Regional Biomass Availabilities, Nutrient Balances and Ecological Boundaries was produced under the EU‐funded SCALE-UP project, which seeks to accelerate community‐driven bioeconomy development across six European regions: Northern Sweden, Mazovia (Poland), the French Atlantic Arc, Upper Austria, Andalusia (Spain), and Strumica (North Macedonia).

Regional Biomass Availabilities, Nutrient Balances and Ecological Boundaries

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Publication:Report
 
The image shows a collage with two pictures: on the left, an aerial view of green, forested areas and wetlands, indicating nature-based carbon removal, and on the right, an industrial scene with large tanks and pipes, symbolizing technological carbon capture methods. The text below reads: 'Scaling up carbon dioxide removals. Recommendations for navigating opportunities and risks in the EU.' The image is from the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change.
This report explores options for scaling up carbon dioxide removals in the EU, considering respective costs, risks and opportunities. This assessment, covering both carbon sinks in the land sector and novel solutions, involves analyses of the status and potential of carbon dioxide removals in the EU, key policy needs and gaps, as well as policy recommendations for a robust EU governance of carbon dioxide removals.

Scaling up Carbon Dioxide Removals

Recommendations for navigating opportunities and risks in the EU

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the CREDIBLE deliverable 2.1 entitled "Report on Options for Standards to Ensure Environmental Integrity and Uptake" authored by Ecologic Institute's Hugh McDonald, Julia Pazmino Murillo, Aaron Scheid (Ecologic Institute)
This Deliverable presents the work of the CREDIBLE Focus Group 2.1, "Minimum requirements to ensure carbon farming delivers sustainability benefits". The objective of the Focus Group and the goal of this document is to make recommendations on how the CRCF can maximize the positive impact of carbon farming on biodiversity, adaptation, water and other sustainability outcomes, at the same time as mitigating climate change.

Options for Standards to Ensure Environmental Integrity and Uptake

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Publication:Conference Paper
 
Cover of the conference documentation "Zukunftsaufgabe naturnaher Landschaftswasserhaushalt"
The symposium "The future task of a near-natural landscape water balance" of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) was organized by Ecologic Institute and took place on 18 April 2024, in Bonn. This publication summarises the most important contents of the conference as well as the research and implementation needs identified.

Zukunftsaufgabe naturnaher Landschaftswasserhaushalt

Ergebnisdokumentation zur BfN-Fachtagung am 18. April 2024

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Publication:Report
 
The report, titled "Funding Climate-Friendly Soil Management: Appropriate Policy Instruments and Limits of Market-Based Approaches", is part of the Climate Change series (01/2025) and published by the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt). It serves as a final report examining funding mechanisms for climate-friendly soil practices. The cover features a blue background with the agency's logo at the bottom.
Soils are vital for climate mitigation, storing substantial carbon. This report, co-authored by Ecologic Institute's Hugh McDonald, Aaron Scheid and Dr. Ana Frelih-Larsen, examines funding approaches to promote climate-friendly soil management in Europe, focusing on two models: action-based and result-based. Action-based funding supports specific activities but doesn't ensure measurable outcomes, while result-based funding ties payments to verified results, encouraging innovation but involving higher costs and monitoring. Result-based funding approaches can be challenging in the context of soil carbon, with offsetting approaches found to be particularly risky.

Funding Climate-friendly Soil Management

Appropriate policy instruments and limits of market-based approaches

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the final report titled "Analysis of Ten Selected Crediting Methodologies for Climate-Friendly Soil Management," published by the German Environment Agency in February 2025.
This report, commissioned by the German Environment Agency and co-authored by Ecologic Institute, contains a detailed assessment of ten crediting methodologies on climate-friendly soil management measures. These crediting methodologies are examples of result-based payment and offsetting approaches to fund enhanced carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural practices. Our evaluation of these certification methodologies covers key aspects, including emission quantification, baseline setting, additionality, risk management, environmental and social impacts, and governance. We find many weaknesses with the assessed methodologies.

Analysis of ten Selected Crediting Methodologies for Climate-friendly Soil Management

Annex to the report "Funding Climate-friendly Soil Management"

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Publication:Report
 
Cover des Endberichts
Kemper, Melanie; Christin Dammann; Johanna Henkel; Juliane Petri 2024: Kommunikation zur Umsetzung von Moorschutz in Brandenburg – Empfehlungen und Handreichungen. Ecologic Institut und Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege. Unpublished.

Kommunikation zur Umsetzung von Moorschutz in Brandenburg

Empfehlungen und Handreichungen

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Publication:Report
 
Cover des Teilberichts
Kemper, Melanie; Elisa Thomaset und Jennifer Reck 2024: Von Niederungsmanagement bis Versumpfung: Kommunikation zur Umsetzung von Moorschutz. Medienresonanz- und Kommunikationsanalyse in den moorreichen deutschen Bundesländern. Ecologic Institut, Berlin. Unpublished.

Von Niederungsmanagement bis Versumpfung: Kommunikation zur Umsetzung von Moorschutz

Medienresonanz- und Kommunikationsanalyse in den moorreichen deutschen Bundesländern

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
A teal-colored policy brief cover titled "Ensuring carbon farming delivers sustainability benefits: Recommendations for carbon farming certification methodologies." It is associated with Project CREDIBLE, focused on building trust in soil carbon farming within the EU. The document notes European Union funding under Grant Agreement nº 101112951 and includes the project website link, www.project-credible.eu. Logos and design elements in the footer show a stylized "C" and patterns resembling leaves.
Carbon farming allows farmers to mitigate climate change, but these practices also impact other sustainability outcomes, including biodiversity, soil health, and water. In this brief, we propose how the EU's regulation establishing a Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Certification Framework (CRCF) can ensure that carbon farming also delivers sustainability benefits, in the context of carbon farming on mineral soils.

Ensuring Carbon Farming Delivers Sustainability Benefits

Recommendations for carbon farming certification methodologies

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Publication:Report
 
Cover page of a report titled 'Neue Kooperationsformen für die Transformation regionaler Agri-Food-Systeme' (New forms of cooperation for the transformation of regional agri-food systems). The subtitle mentions that it is a compilation for the field of action 'Access to land.' The cover features the KOPOS logo, which shows a fork splitting a circle with 'Urban' and 'Rural' labels. Logos for the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), FONA, and Stadt Land Plus are displayed at the bottom.
How can regional agricultural and food systems be made more sustainable? This report highlights new models of cooperation that bring together farmers, consumers and civil society actors to improve access to land and strengthen regional economic cycles. A key finding is that such co-operations are not only ecologically beneficial, but also create social and economic synergies for rural regions.

Neue Kooperationsformen für die Transformation regionaler Agri-Food-Systeme

Eine Zusammenstellung für das Handlungsfeld "Zugang zu Land"

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