Publication:Report

Experts from Ecologic Institute, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Stiftung Umweltenergierecht, ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research and IER Stuttgart analyzed various options for the relief and level of the CO2 price – and identified advantages and disadvantages as well as implementation requirements of different design options. The focus is on two key political points of contention, where scientific findings can prevent an impending hardening of the position and thus promote a consensus that is conducive to climate protection. This German-language abridged version summarizes the findings.

Ein fairer und solidarischer EU-Emissionshandel für Gebäude und Straßenverkehr

Zusammenfassung

Year 2022

Publication:Report

In this Ariadne publication, experts from Ecologic Institute, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Stiftung Umweltenergierecht, ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research and IER Stuttgart analyzed various options for the relief and level of the CO2 price – and identified advantages and disadvantages as well as implementation requirements of different design options. The focus is on two key political points of contention, where scientific findings can prevent an impending hardening of the position and thus promote a consensus that is conducive to climate protection.

A Fair and Solidarity-based EU Emissions Trading System for Buildings and Road Transport

Ariadne Report

Year 2022

Publication:Article

Not democratically elected, but popular: Citizen councils can strengthen public participation in the EU, but they must not be overrated. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf discusses in the IPG Journal how citizen councils can be involved in EU decision-making in the future.

Ultimative Bürgerbeteiligung?

Year 2022

Publication:Podcast

Together with our interview guests Arianna Nicoletti (Circular Textiles Lead at Circular Berlin) and Mandy Hinzmann (Fellow at Ecologic Institute) we explore the concepts of circular and sustainable fashion and discuss the potential impact of the recently published European Union Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. We also get philosophical and ask: is the constant change and quick consumption an inherent characteristic of fashion?

Sustainability in Style: Circular fashion in the European Green Deal

Third episode of the podcast "Green Deal – Big Deal?"

Year 2022

Publication:Report

Cover of the report "The use of auctioning revenues from the EU ETS for climate action"

This report analysed if and how EU Member States used their auctioning revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for climate action. For this purpose, we selected eight case study countries, namely Czech, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal. As part of these case studies, we examined the reporting, the legal provisions and the political narrative around auctioning revenues through desk research and expert interviews.

The Use of Auctioning Revenues from the EU ETS for Climate Action – Technical Report

An analysis based on eight selected case studies

Year 2022

Publication:Poster

Country-specific illustrative stories of Climate-ADAPT use Bulgaria | Solutions for adaptation to climate change in the agriculture sector

Ecologic Institute developed the stories of Zornitza, Piotr, Alexandru, Beata and Ana to illustrate the different challenges and needs of climate change adaptation experts in a storytelling format. They show how these experts find specific data and information sets on Climate-ADAPT to assess climate change risks, develop policies and plans, adaptation solutions including using green infrastructure options. The stories show how the characters use Climate-ADAPT in a basic way, by following clear steps or using alternative options.

Challenges and Needs of Climate Change Adaptation Experts – Poster series

in a Storytelling Format

Year 2022

Publication:Report

As part of the project Dialogue Forum "Private Households", a mapping of existing actors and initiatives in Germany was carried out and evaluated. The aim of this structured categorisation is to gain an overview of the current landscape of measures in order to identify which effective starting points are already covered by current measures and which are not, and how existing measures can be improved and their effectiveness increased.

Reduzierung der Lebensmittelverschwendung in privaten Haushalten

Mapping von bestehenden Maßnahmen und Initiativen in Deutschland

Year 2022

Publication:Book

Overview of EU progress towards the SDGs over the past 5 years, 2022 (Data mainly refer to 2015–2020 or 2016–2021)

The 2022 overview brochure accompanies Eurostat's sixth regular report monitoring progress towards the SDGs in an EU context. Ecologic Institute's authors covered the chapters on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The brochure is available for download.

Sustainable Development in the European Union – 2022 Overview

Overview of Progress Towards the SDGs in an EU Context

Year 2022

Publication:Book

Cover of the publication "Sustainable development in the European Union Monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context" 2022 edition

The 2022 publication is Eurostat's sixth regular report monitoring progress towards the SDGs in an EU context. Ecologic Institute's authors covered the chapters on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The publication is available for download.

Sustainable Development in the European Union – 2022

Monitoring Report on Progress Towards the SDGS in an EU Context

Year 2022

Publication:Article

The Environment Committee of the European Parliament adopted its reform proposals for the EU Climate Action Regulation last Monday. These contain important improvements, but overall they are disappointing, says Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the Tagesspiegel.

Weniger Sonntagsreden bei der Klimaschutzverordnung

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2022

Publication:Podcast

To achieve the EU's goals, we need to rethink mobility from the ground up. This involves many aspects, including electric mobility, walking, cycling and public transport. The second episode of the "Green Deal – Big Deal?" podcast examines the challenges and issues that the mobility transformation needs to address, including environmental problems like climate change and air pollution.

It's Electric! The future of mobility in Europe.

Second episode of the podcast "Green Deal – Big Deal?"

Year 2022

Publication:Policy Brief

Cober of the summary "The use of auctioning revenues from the EU ETS for climate action"

This study analysed if and how EU Member States used their auctioning revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for climate action. For this purpose, we selected eight case study countries, namely Czech, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal. As part of these case studies, we examined the reporting, the legal provisions and the political narrative around auctioning revenues through desk research and expert interviews.

The Use of Auctioning Revenues from the EU ETS for Climate Action – Summary

An analysis based on eight selected case studies

Year 2022

Publication:Report

This report takes stock of emission trajectories, climate policies and complementary policies in G7 countries. It helps to identify gaps in the existing policy landscape of global decarbonisation efforts and proposes potential improvements. Based on these insights, we consider that G7 countries have many viable options for accelerating the global energy transition.

G7 Climate Crossroads: State of Play

Year 2022

Publication:Report

The EU has set out to become the world's first climate-neutral continent, but how are its regions progressing towards this goal? A new report commissioned by the European Parliament assesses this question. It discusses how progress towards net-zero can be measured on regional level and identifies common barriers facing regional governments. The study is based on six case studies from EU regions that have successfully begun the journey towards net neutrality. For the report, Ecologic Institute provided conceptual input on how to define climate neutrality and on how to gauge regions' progress towards it. In addition, the team carried out the case study on industry decarbonisation in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

EU Regions in the Transformation Towards a Climate-Neutral Future

Year 2022

Publication:Report

This paper describes important findings from the project "Data Governance and Regulation for a Sustainable Berlin" and formulates – in addition to the application field-specific papers – overarching recommendations.

Datengovernance und -regulierung für ein nachhaltiges Berlin

Übergeordnete Erkenntnisse und Empfehlungen

Year 2022

Publication:Report

This final report assesses the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provisions of the SUP-Directive with a view to its implementation in the Member States. The focus of this analysis lays on those aspects that represent novelties as compared to other EU legislation on EPR, and thus raise legal questions that have not been addressed before, especially regarding the cleaning up of litter from relevant SUP products.

EU Single-Use Plastics Directive

Analysis of provisions and potential measures regarding extended producer responsibility

Year 2022

Publication:Report

The central objective of the work presented in this report was to assess the European Commission's Strategic Long-Term Vision and supplementary materials and reflect on them in light of state-of-the-art sector analyses.

The European Commission's 2050 Vision "A clean planet for all"

Implications for Sector Strategies and Climate Governance

Year 2022

Publication:Conference Paper

This documentation summarizes the main interim results of the four-hour online workshop "Targets and Indicators for the Protein Transition in Germany" with 35 experts.

Online-Expert*innenworkshop am 04.04.2021 "Politische Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten zur Förderung von stärker pflanzenbasierten Ernährungsweisen"

Ergebnisdokumentation

Year 2022

Publication:Podcast

In the first episode of the Green Deal – Big Deal? podcast we unpack the European Green Deal and discuss its importance with our guests Dr Hans Bruyninckx (European Environment Agency) and Dr Åsa Persson (Stockholm Environment Institute).

European Green Deal – What is Europe trying to achieve and where are we now?

First episode of the podcast "Green Deal – Big Deal?"

Year 2022

Publication:Report

This paper examines the concept of an "extended" digital product passport from a socio-ecological perspective using the example of batteries for electric vehicles. It evaluates different approaches to data regulation and formulates policy recommendations for decision makers in Berlin. It is based on preliminary work from the project, in which in particular three ideal types of data regulation and a methodology for their scenario-based evaluation were developed.

Nachhaltige Datenregulierung für die Kreislaufwirtschaft in Berlin

Hintergründe und Policy-Empfehlungen

Year 2022

Publication:Article

The emission of plastics into the environment is growing worldwide. Since existing regulations are not sufficient to curb the problem, the ever-increasing plastic production and use must be reduced overall. A systemic approach is needed that holds all actors responsible who produce, use, recycle, dispose and trade in plastic products and packaging. Policymakers must drive forward the necessary paradigm shift and facilitate a debate on sufficiency in society as a whole.

Wege zum nachhaltigen Umgang mit Kunststoffen

Kernbotschaften sozialwissenschaftlicher Forschung

Year 2022

Publication:Book

This insightful Handbook, by Dr. Michael Jakob, provides a comprehensive overview of the most recent developments in the academic debate on the numerous and complex linkages between international trade and climate change. Offering critical and empirically-based perspectives on the future of international trade policy, this timely Handbook is crucial reading for scholars, researchers and graduate students in political science, public policy and climate research. Policymakers will also benefit from its unique and insightful policy recommendations.

Handbook on Trade Policy and Climate Change

Year 2022

Publication:Conference Paper

This paper discusses main behavioral drivers that are relevant for increasing diets that are more plant-based. The analysis of influencing factors aims to identify effective starting points where policy instruments can be applied in Germany to achieve changes in dietary patterns across the population as effectively as possible and to reduce the consumption of animal products. The result is a pre-structured collection of potentially effective policy approaches.

Förderung pflanzenbasierter Ernährungsweisen

Analyse der verhaltensprägenden Einflussfaktoren und von Ansatzpunkten für politische Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten

Year 2022

Publication:Report

The European Commission's Fit for 55 package proposes two significant reforms to energy pricing in the EU: Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) reform; and extending emissions trading to cover emissions from buildings and road transport (ETS2). A concern among stakeholders is how these reforms would impact lower income households. Various policy mechanisms are under consideration to help address potential distributional impacts. Based on a microsimulation model developed by the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) with IEEP, this report analyses a series of reform scenarios supported by graphical depictions of their distributional effects in Germany.

Can Polluter Pays Policies in the Buildings and Transport Sectors be Progressive?

Country briefing paper: Germany

Year 2022

Publication:Article

In an integrated global economy, trade policy and climate policy are closely intertwined. In this paper, Ecologic Institute's Dr. Michael Jakob adopts an interdisciplinary approach to provide an overview of the key debates in economics, political science, and legal studies related to globalization and climate change. He identifies a number of emerging issues that deserve increased attention in future research in this direction.

Globalization and Climate Change: State of knowledge, emerging issues, and policy implications

Year 2022

Publication:Article

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to take a heavy toll, the heads of state and government gathering in Versailles today and tomorrow (10-11 March 2022) will need to take actions that support Ukraine while also shoring up the bloc's own strategic autonomy from Moscow. The European Green Deal will be crucial for the success of this strategy. This op-ed, which is available online, explains why.

Russia's War in Ukraine

Why doubling down on the Green Deal is the best strategy

Year 2022

Publication:Report

This report identifies various risks that climate change impacts pose to the critical electric infrastructure in Germany and the United States, including the generation, transmission and distribution facilities, and suggests a political course that both countries can follow. The American States of California and Texas are used as case studies in this report.

A Blueprint for Adaptation

Preparing the U.S. and German Energy Systems for the Risks that Climate Change Poses

Year 2022

Publication:Policy Brief

The German government has put the formation of an 'ambitious, bold, and cooperative' climate club on top of its G7 Presidency agenda. But what is a climate club? And what type of climate club should the German G7 Presidency push toward? This policy brief provides some answers to these questions and formulates recommendations for the German Presidency.

What Role for a Climate Club under the German G7 Presidency?

Options and Recommendations for a Climate Club

Year 2022

Publication:Brochure

Cover "Compendium on Plastics in the Environment

This compendium, published by Ecologic Institute, aims to sharpen relevant terms and thereby aims to contribute to the heterogeneity of the scientific community on "plastics in the environment". In addition, the brochure is intended to help ensure that communication with and by non-scientific actors on the topic is based on a terminologically correct foundation, especially in emotionally charged debates. After all, these debates are often highly relevant in shaping our future, and it seems important that the necessary political, social and economic decisions should be taken based on knowledge and factual information. The compendium is available for download.

Compendium Plastics in the Environment

Year 2022

Publication:Infographic

Graphical illustration of potential impacts of microplastics in the environment.

Whether or not microplastics have harmful effects on plants and animals has not yet been conclusively established. The different properties of microplastics determine whether and how the microplastics are absorbed by living organisms and whether they are harmful to them. Compared to other pollutants in the environment (e.g. pesticides), microplastics do not have a uniform effect on living organisms. In addition, the effects of microplastics often cannot be distinguished from the harmful effects of other particles and substances found in the environment.

Are Microplastics Harmful?

The ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in the environment is a complex task

Year 2022

Publication:Document

The paper "Making EU Governance Fit for Net Zero" analyses the current landscape of climate policy governance against eight core parameters at EU level and for Member States, and identifies a number of remaining weaknesses. Improvements should address several key processes, such as updating of the NECPs in 2023-2024 and of national LTSs and the new progress and consistency assessments under the EU Climate Law.

Making EU Climate Governance Fit for Net Zero

Scientific opinion paper

Year 2022

Publication:Brochure

A team at Ecologic Institute has produced new best-practice guidelines for co-creating research. The guidelines are based on experiences gathered in the Horizon 2020 project COACCH (Co-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs). The authors summarise an in-depth evaluation carried out over the four-year collaborative research process. Based on this evaluation, the Ecologic Institute team highlights lessons learned and proposes step-by-step guidelines for best-practice in co-creation.

Co-creating Research: Best-Practice-Guidelines

Insights from the Horizon 2020 EU project COACCH

Year 2022

Publication:Report

To support Member States meet their reporting requirements and improve their monitoring, Ecologic Institute developed a site selection guidance. The use of this guidance will help Member States develop a representative network of ecosystem monitoring sites across the EU, covering freshwater ecosystems, natural and semi-natural habitats as well as forests. The guidance on how sites are selected is voluntary for the Member States to apply in accordance with their own circumstances. It can be used for setting up a new monitoring network or expanding/improving an existing network to identify the most appropriate locations to monitor.

Guidance Note on Site Selection

Support to Member States regarding the monitoring of effects of air pollution on ecosystems according to Article 9(1) of the NEC Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/2284)

Year 2022

Publication:Article

The article reflects on the 59th Tutzing Symposion entitled "Polymers for a better life and circular economy" that took place as an online event in October 2021. Based on the presentations at the symposium, the contribution provides an overview of current debates on the circular plastics economy, as well as insights into existing political regulations, present challenges, and possible future developments with regard to this major societal project.

Eine Kreislaufwirtschaft für Kunststoffe – Aktuelle Diskussionen, Trends und politische Herausforderungen

Year 2022

Publication:Report

In the light of the financial and economic crisis, the EU has further developed and tightened its regulation of the financial market in Europe. This process has also had an impact on the actors in the European carbon market and their trading strategies. This final report brings together the results of three analyses.

Emission Trading and Regulation of Financial Markets

Abschlussbericht

Year 2022

Publication:Article

This article explores how (in)coherence in policies and responsibilities affects coordination at process and outcome level. It presents a rigorous comparative study of cross-sectoral coordination in six river basins worldwide. The authors, among them Ecologic Institute's Dr. Ulf Stein, observe that coherence can favor coordination at the process level, but it remains difficult to establish causality. Coherence of policies and responsibilities does not change the relationship between process-level and outcome-level coordination.

Effects of Policy and Functional (In)coherence on Coordination

A comparative analysis of cross-sectoral water management problems

Year 2022

Adaptation
Agriculture
Arctic
Biodiversity
Bioeconomy
Cities
Climate
Climate Foreign Policy
Coastal + Marine
Communication
Consumer Policy
Cultural Ecology
Digitalization
EU
Economics
Education
Energy
Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal
Evaluation
Events
Finance
Food
Foreign Policy
Governance
Health
Indicators
Industry
International Development
Land Use
Mobility
Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
Plastics
Public Diplomacy
Resource Conservation + Circular Economy
Trade
Water

Adaptation
Agriculture
Arctic
Biodiversity
Bioeconomy
Cities
Climate
Climate Foreign Policy
Coastal + Marine
Communication
Consumer Policy
Cultural Ecology
Digitalization
EU
Economics
Education
Energy
Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal
Evaluation
Events
Finance
Food
Foreign Policy
Governance
Health
Indicators
Industry
International Development
Land Use
Mobility
Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
Plastics
Public Diplomacy
Resource Conservation + Circular Economy
Trade
Water

Article
Book
Book Section
Brochure
Case Study
Conference Paper
Document
Fact Sheet
Flyer
Infographic
Newsletter
Podcast
Policy Brief
Postcard
Poster
Report
Thesis
Video
Web Application
Website

Publications

Zusammenfassung

Ariadne Report

Third episode of the podcast "Green Deal – Big Deal?"

An analysis based on eight selected case studies

in a Storytelling Format

Mapping von bestehenden Maßnahmen und Initiativen in Deutschland

Overview of Progress Towards the SDGs in an EU Context

Monitoring Report on Progress Towards the SDGS in an EU Context

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Second episode of the podcast "Green Deal – Big Deal?"

An analysis based on eight selected case studies

Übergeordnete Erkenntnisse und Empfehlungen

Analysis of provisions and potential measures regarding extended producer responsibility

Implications for Sector Strategies and Climate Governance

Ergebnisdokumentation

First episode of the podcast "Green Deal – Big Deal?"

Hintergründe und Policy-Empfehlungen

Kernbotschaften sozialwissenschaftlicher Forschung

Analyse der verhaltensprägenden Einflussfaktoren und von Ansatzpunkten für politische Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten

Country briefing paper: Germany

Why doubling down on the Green Deal is the best strategy

Preparing the U.S. and German Energy Systems for the Risks that Climate Change Poses

Options and Recommendations for a Climate Club

The ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in the environment is a complex task

Scientific opinion paper

Insights from the Horizon 2020 EU project COACCH

Support to Member States regarding the monitoring of effects of air pollution on ecosystems according to Article 9(1) of the NEC Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/2284)

Abschlussbericht

A comparative analysis of cross-sectoral water management problems

Recent Multimedia Publications by Ecologic Institute

What social-ecological data governance for Berlin could look like

Regional Training Course for participants from the Asian Region