Contents:

1. Criteria for Assessing the Transformation Potential of Sustainability Initiatives – Publication
2. Act Now – Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment – Publication
3. Groundwater and Agriculture: A Comparison of Managing Scarcity and Droughts in France and California – Publication
4. Framing Check: "Driving ban" – Publication
5. The Future of Energy Security – Publication
6. Dr. Camilla Bausch Presents ecoworks with the PERPETUUM Energy Efficiency Prize 2019
7. What Kind of Climate Protection Law is Needed? – Zukunftsforum Ecornet
8. Challenges, Opportunities and Collaboration in the Bioeconomy – Workshops
9. Plastics in the Environment – Status Conference
10. Plastics in the Environment: Social Science Research – Poster Series

1. Criteria for Assessing the Transformation Potential of Sustainability Initiatives – Publication

   What exactly is the added value of sustainability initiatives and why are they worthy of political support? This assessment system developed by Ecologic Institute defines criteria for the first time with an integrated approach to assess sustainability and the transformative potential of civil society initiatives. The assessment system is available for download.

   https://ecologic.eu/16464

2. Act Now – Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment – Publication

   This workshop report presents key points of the plenary presentations of an international workshop with over 50 representatives from the EU Parliament, national regulatory agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, the water industry, and NGOs. It summarises the main points of the first podium discussion, and provides an overview of the discussions in the three World Café tables. The workshop report, written by Ecologic Institute and the German Environment Agency is available for download.

   https://ecologic.eu/16435

3. Groundwater and Agriculture: Managing Scarcity and Droughts in France and California – Publication

   Although France and California have very different physical realities and histories of managing groundwater, they both face significant challenges regarding the good quantitative status of their groundwater resources. Innovative approaches are being trialled in both regions, providing useful ground for international comparison and lesson drawing. Ecologic Institute's Dr. Josselin Rouillard presents a synthesis of key observations on European, French and Californian experiences in the CaliforniaWater blog.

   https://ecologic.eu/16438

4. Framing Check: "Driving Ban" – Publication

   The use of the term "driving ban" can give the impression of a general and comprehensive ban on driving. In this sense, it means, rather, a ban on mobility. The term thus does not only suggest a banishment, but also an interference in the personal freedom of all drivers, not only of diesel drivers. "Traffic restrictions" is the more precise term with respect to the content. Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Head of International and European Governance, and Katharina Umpfenbach, Coordinator Energy of the Ecologic Institute, discuss this in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The article is available online.

   https://ecologic.eu/16468

5. The Future of Energy Security – Publication

   Energy security – the uninterrupted supply of energy at reasonable prices, as defined by IEA – has both external and internal dynamics. It can be ensured through local adequacy, that is, abundant and varied forms of indigenous energy resources, but the countries that face local shortages, as in Bangladesh, depend on imports. Shafiqul Alam explains in the Dhaka Tribune how internal measures could attenuate reliance on external sources. The article is available online.

   https://ecologic.eu/16457

6. Dr. Camilla Bausch Presents ecoworks with the PERPETUUM Energy Efficiency Prize 2019

   Is it possible to modernize apartment buildings to net zero within just a few days? The innovators at ecoworks claim just this and were awarded with the jury's prize at this year's DENEFF annual conference. Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute headed the jury for the third consecutive year to choose the winner of the competition. The innovation by ecoworks was only one of many exciting projects in the running for the 2019 PERPETUUM Energy Efficiency Prize.

   https://ecologic.eu/16460

7. What Kind of Climate Protection Law is Needed? – Zukunftsforum Ecornet

   Ecornet's new series of events highlights current environmental and sustainability policy issues from a scientific perspective and discusses them with actors from politics, business and civil society. Ecornet looks beyond local, regional and national borders to international contexts. For its inaugural event, on 9 May 2019, the Zukunftsforum Ecornet (Future Forum Ecornet) invites the public to discuss the challenges of a climate protection law for Germany. Ecologic Institute and the Oeko-Institut present findings from current scientific analyses.

   https://ecologic.eu/16444

8. Challenges, Opportunities and Collaboration in the Bioeconomy – Workshops

   In May 2019, Ecologic Institute is organizing the Bioeconomy workshops "Beyond Sectors – Chances and Challenges of Multi-stakeholder Collaboration in the Bioeconomy", and "Challenges and Opportunities in the Bioeconomy". The aims of the workshops are to (1) discuss the challenges of cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder cooperation in the bioeconomy as well as potential instruments for their facilitation and to present good practice examples and (2) develop a common understanding of existing challenges in the German context, and to develop solutions that are based on multi-stakeholder cooperation, (project) ideas and policy recommendations. The registration is still open.

   https://ecologic.eu/16415

9. Plastics in the Environment – Status Conference

   On 9 and 10 April 2019, the status conference of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) took place in the Kalkscheune in Berlin. The coordinators of the 20 joint projects funded within the research focus presented their projects and explained first results as well as challenges of their projects. The conference proceedings, presenting the joint projects and cross-cutting topics, are available for download.

   https://ecologic.eu/16103

10. Plastics in the Environment: Social Science Research – Poster Series

    This series of posters published by Ecologic Institute provides an overview of research topics, types of results and target groups of projects with a social science component in the research focus "Plastics in the Environment", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Ten joint research projects are presented and first interim results are briefly and concisely summarised.

    https://ecologic.eu/16452