The 2030 targets for decarbonising the EU economy have been agreed, but what does this mean concretely for the European energy and transport systems? In a new publication, Agora Energiewende is providing exactly this "Big Picture" of the EU energy transformation up until 2030. Based on an analysis of where we are today and where we need to be in 2030, the authors propose ten priorities and four flagship initiatives to make the European energy transition a success. Ecologic Institute supported Agora Energiewende in developing the publication, which is available for download.

This report translates the findings of the REFRESH project on consumer behaviour into policy recommendations. It helps national and regional policy makers in designing and improving appropriate interventions against food waste. It focus on policy instruments that aim to reduce consumer food waste including in-home and out-of-home consumption.

The time to meet the next target to halt the loss of biodiversity in the EU by 2020 is approaching. The authors of this study identified and assessed key drivers of success for measure driven improvements that could be used to develop more successful conservation measures in the future in order to achieve a better conservation status of species and habitats. This will consequently contribute to the development of the post 2020 biodiversity strategy. The study is available for download.

An international workshop titled "Act Now - Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment" was held in Brussels (Belgium). The over 50 participants included representatives from the EU Parliament, national regulatory agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, the water industry, and NGOs, amongst others. This report presents key points of the plenary presentations, summarises the main points of the first podium discussion, and provides an overview of the discussions in the three World Café tables. The report is available for download.

Which trends and developments characterise the energy system in the overlapping phases of the energy transition? Which opportunities and which risks are borne by digital technologies and data-based business models in pursuit of an ecologically-oriented energy transition? How do the structures of players change and what challenges do different actors face? These questions are the subject of a short study written by Lisa Meinecke and Christine Lucha of Ecologic Institute. The study is available for download.

The fifth Water Framework Directive Implementation Report of the Commission reveals significant improvements in knowledge and reporting on the Water Framework Directive compared to the previous cycle. More Member States reported in a timely manner, with more comprehensive, relevant and reliable information. As part of a consortium, Ecologic Institute supported the preparation of the report. The Commission report is available for download.

This final report contains the interim results of a project on communication strategies for reducing agriculture-related entry of veterinary pharmaceuticals into the environment.

Green and blue infrastructure (GBI) has the potential to effectively slow down, halt and reverse the negative effects of human activities on the environment while safeguarding valuable ecosystem services that these natural settings provide, especially in urban areas. The successful implementation of GBI is linked to a variety of factors, especially so the policy and institutional framework in which they are embedded. Acknowledging this potential, this report aims to understand the policy contexts which foster or hinder the uptake and positive impacts of green and blue infrastructure across a range of European cities.

Marine plastic pollution is a fast growing problem and it is not yet possible to estimate how severe the impacts currently are. Between 4.8 and 12.7 Mt of plastics ends up in the ocean each year, adding to the uncontrolled plastic waste already floating around the world’s seas. Despite many good initiatives and action plans, the world is about to lose the overall battle. There is an urgent need to vibrantly address the plastic pollution crisis of the oceans on a global level. This report by adelphi and Ecologic Institute provides suggestions in this regard. The report is available for download.

This final report presents the results of the research project "Internet of services and things and compliance with environmental standards of technical infrastructures – a concept study for Schwerin and its surroundings". The report is available for download.

This deliverable explores four key social and economic facets of NBS in the context of urban regeneration, namely: human health and well-being; sustainable economic prosperity; social cohesion and environmental justice; and citizen safety. It defines each concept and proposes indicators for measuring their impact in order to create a shared understanding and common approach within the CLEVER Cities project. Purely environmental aspects and indicators are beyond the scope of this document and are explored elsewhere in the project.

For the Federal Environment Agency of Germany a consortium of Consideo, adelphi, Ecologic Institute, FEST and sociodimensions developed a quantitative simulation model to run scenarios on the potentials for a transition of society towards sustainability. The model explores the effects of a transition on the environment, climate change, use of resources, the economy, welfare, and happiness. The publication is available online.

For the Federal Environment Agency of Germany a consortium of Consideo, adelphi, Ecologic Institute, FEST and sociodimensions developed a quantitative simulation model to run scenarios on the potentials for a transition of society towards sustainability. The model explores the effects of a transition on the environment, climate change, use of resources, the economy, welfare, and happiness. The report is available for download.

As the institution in charge of the German government sponsored initiative "Scientific Coordination of the Support Measure for Sustainable Management" (NaWiKo), Ecologic Institute was involved with several of its working papers. These are available for download and summarise the results of various NaWiKo research projects on specific individual aspects of a sustainable economy, including policy recommendations for promoting sustainable food systems in Germany. The working papers are available for download.

This report summarizes the key findings of the CIRCULAR IMPACTS project and provides an impact analysis setting out impacts of circular-economy transitions on the macroeconomy and society. The results of case studies conducted within the project are included as are results from modelling done by external parties, accompanied by an overview of the methodologies used. This report thus provides an overview of presently available quantitative evidence on the macroeconomic and societal impacts of the circular economy. In addition, an overview of recent policy development on EU level in relation to the circular economy is provided, as are the key conclusions and policy messages from the project. Lastly, recommendations for future circular economy research are given, with the aim of improving scenario-based impact analyses for the European policymaking context.