We are looking for a leader who will drive the development of the Institute with passion, vigor and political flair. For the future-oriented success of the Institute, the programmatic and strategic enhancement of scientific work as well as the further development of internal structures and processes are crucial. To achieve this, the Director works with a highly motivated team to develop targets and strategies. Perrett Laver supports Ecologic Institute in this search.

This report focuses on the assessment of the status of the marine environment, the definition of environmental objectives and the development of programs of measures to achieve good environmental status. It provides guidance to Member States on the assessment of marine waters, identifies key pressures and pressures factors and offers approaches for setting environmental targets. It supports the development of monitoring programs and the implementation of measures to reduce pollution and conserve biodiversity. The technical assistance aims to promote cooperation between Member States and create a coherent framework for maritime policy in the EU.

Article 11 of the Governance Regulation (2018/1999) obliges Member States to implement participatory climate governance processes in the form of multilevel climate and energy dialogues. This paper examines the extent to which and the way Member States implement the dialogues based on their obligatory reporting. The assessment uncovers that the mechanisms' design is adequate in principle, but the implementation is not fit for net zero.

The KOPOS criteria set serves to make the sustainability and transformation impacts of initiatives in the food sector measurable and visible. It provides a basis for evaluating and improving the sustainability of projects and is useful both for initiatives themselves and for institutions wishing to promote sustainability projects. In addition to the actual set of criteria, this working paper provides an introduction to and a derivation of the criteria.

When discussing the sustainable use of abiotic, i.e. non-renewable, raw materials, two ecological perspectives must be taken into account. On the one hand, minerals and metals are essential for building the infrastructure of a climate-neutral economy. On the other hand, the extraction and utilisation of these raw materials lead to considerable environmental pollution. In this article, Susanne Langsdorf provides an overview of Germany’s raw material consumption, its dependence on sometimes problematic trading partners and the tools which Germany has at its disposal to reduce this.

In this episode of "Green Deal – Big Deal?", we tackle the complex world of natural resources, a topic that underpins many aspects of Europe's ambitions for a green future. In conversation with our guests Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of European Commission’s DG Environment, and Janez Potočnik, Co-chair of the International Resources Panel, our hosts discuss how the use of natural resources is closely linked to the climate and biodiversity crises, highlighting the global nature of resource use and its impacts.

In the 5th episode of the CLIMATE ON AIR podcast, we discuss the essential role of climate policy integration on the path to the EU's climate neutrality transition with climate policy integration experts Kati Kulovesi (University of Eastern Finland) and Sebastian Oberthür (Vrije Universiteit Brussels). Together, we delve deeper into the EU's legal and governance aspects that are necessary for successful climate policy integration, highlighting the significant role of the European Climate Law in setting a legally binding climate neutrality target, alongside the EU Governance Regulation. Our experts emphasize the importance of institutional capacity and public acceptance. They provide insights into the challenges of achieving effective policy Integration, as well as recommendations for future policymaking.

In the finale of "Green Deal – Big Deal?" Season 1, we dive deep into the EU's expanded emissions trading system (EU ETS2), which now encompasses the sectors of buildings and transport. Hosts Ewa Iwaszuk and Aaron Best are joined by Sibyl Steuwer from the Buildings Performance Institute Europe and Matthias Duwe of the Ecologic Institute to discuss the complexities of integrating buildings and transport into the EU’s emissions trading, exploring the challenges and opportunities this expansion presents.

Speech and Panel Discussion: Aaron Scheid, Julia Pazmino Murillo

Ecologic Institute was part of the first European Carbon Farming Summit, which took place from 6 to 7 March 2024 in Valencia. This event gathered hundreds of people from academia, the private and public sector, farmers and farmers associations who engaged in the discussion around the upcoming EU Carbon Farming Certification Framework (CRCF). Aaron Scheid and Julia Pazmiño Murillo shared the outcomes of their work as part of the CREDIBLE Project and hosted a breakout session to discuss the minimum requirements to ensure carbon farming delivers sustainability benefits within the CRCF framework and beyond.

Moderation: McKenna Davis

On 7 March 2024, the online conference "Shaping urban nature – now!" took place, providing important impetus for the integration of urban nature into urban development. Over 140 experts and interested participants discussed the possibilities of urban development funding and the development of Urban Greening Plans. The event, organized by Hochschule Geisenheim University and Ecologic Institute Berlin with the support of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, provided a platform for exchange on strategies to promote biodiversity in urban areas. Participants were encouraged to take innovative approaches in municipal practice.  McKenna Davis co-moderated the event and led a panel discussion in which experts discussed topics such as the strategic integration of biodiversity into urban planning and the creation of green infrastructure. The results and the forthcoming guideline "Stadtnaturplan – Lebensqualität, Klima und biologische Vielfalt zusammendenken" ("Urban Nature Plan - Combining Quality of Life, Climate and Biodiversity") will carry the momentum set forward.

Speech: Doris Knoblauch

On 13 March 2024, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute) gave a lecture on "Plastics and the Environment", in which she highlighted the need for a global plastics treaty at a postgraduate course. 21 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and industry from low-income countries and emerging economies were present and exchanged views. The focus was on the question of why plastic pollution is a problem and why we urgently need an international, legally binding plastics treaty.

This conference addresses aspects of restoring a near-natural landscape water balance and offers opportunities to exchange views on nature conservation objectives and implementation deficits, as well as possible research questions and application projects. The conference is aimed at stakeholders from water management, agriculture and forestry, nature conservation, climate protection and adaptation, research and renaturalization practice, landscape planning, spatial planning, water and floodplain ecology, among others.

Launched in March 2024, the Horizon Europe-funded GoNaturePositive! project, led by Trinity Business School with 20 partners from 14 countries, aims to explore and implement the fundamentals for a nature-positive economy. With a focus on developing guidelines for businesses and policy makers, Ecologic Institute is actively involved in exploring systemic policy and governance approaches to promote a nature-positive economy.