On 4 March 2020 the European Commission published its proposal for a European climate law. The present Commission proposal raises a number of questions, such as what steering effect can the long-term orientation really achieve or will the climate law effectively close existing gaps in the processes of EU climate policy? Together with experts, we have further explored these questions.

Hidden in plain sight, digitalisation has appeared as one – if not the – central force of change in the 21st century. The digital age offers the potential to both enable and radically counteract the socio-ecological transformation. Correspondingly, structuring the digitalisation wave has becomes an important factor for sustainability policy. When used wisely, artificial intelligence (AI) can produce a new level of quality for solution strategies. The question remains: do we require a new collective knowledge-based solution for using AI to address issues of sustainable transformation in organizations, economic systems and infrastructures? The Ecological Research Network (Ecornet) invited the public to discuss this question.

To mark the launch of the 2019 Global Think Tank Ranking report on 30 January 2020, Ecologic Institute convened and hosted a breakfast discussion of think tankers and policy experts to discuss "The Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice". The event, co-hosted and sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, was part of a worldwide launch of the report in over 130 cities around the world, with over 500 think tanks hosting or co-hosting.

Effective CO2 pricing is crucial to achieve the global climate protection goals. This was the subject of an event that was carried out by the Ecologic Institute as a co-organizer as part of a formal side event at the 25th session of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) in Madrid.

Meeting the Paris climate targets and transitioning to a climate-friendly, more sustainable society cannot be achieved without extended social alliances. This raises the question of how organizations should position themselves in the future: Will the disputes become sharper and fiercer? Which approaches are taken regarding current social and ecological problems? Is it possible to balance tensions and make compromises that are coherent with ecological and social interests? The Ecological Research Network (Ecornet) invited the public to join in discussing these questions.

A presentation by Sophie Ittner on key messages of the latest Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the current state of land systems and future risks of climate change. Important recommendations for action for society and politics are summarized and discussed. Participation is free of charge.

The widespread use of plastics, the mass consumption of disposable plastic products and the longevity of plastics lead to a waste volume that can hardly be managed anymore. Many people are particularly alarmed by the pollution of the oceans by microplastics and plastic waste. Despite all this, the volume of packaging per capita continues to rise and has doubled over the last twenty years – to 213 kilograms in 2015. The intense public debate has also called for a political response: A European plastics strategy is currently aimed at banning straws and plastic tableware. But can this solve the environmental problem? How serious are the effects of plastic waste and microplastics on the environment? What are the right steps to take to reduce the impact on the environment and the use of plastics?

In response to Brexit, the EU has initiated a process of self-reflection and, if necessary, reform - the so-called Bratislava Process or the Process of the Future of Europe. As a contribution to this process, the Ecologic Institute explored with different partners how climate policy can support this process and how climate policy can benefit from it. On June 13, the Ecologic Institute presented the project results in Berlin.

At the launch of the new event series ZUKUNFTSFORUM ECORNET on 9 May 2019, scientists, politicians and representatives of civil society debated the need for a legal framework for climate protection in Germany and its possible components under the guiding question "What kind of climate protection law is needed?" Matthias Duwe, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, emphasised the advantages of a legal framework in his presentation on the experiences of other EU countries.

To mark the launch of the 2018 Global Think Tank Ranking report on 31 January 2019, Ecologic Institute convened a Luncheon discussion of think tankers and policy experts to discuss "Why Facts and Think Tanks Matter". The event, the first of its kind in Lisbon (Portugal), was part of a worldwide launch of the report in over 80 cities around the world, with over 230 think tanks hosting or co-hosting.

On Saturday, 8 December 2018, Ecologic Institute hosted a side event in the EU Pavilion at the COP24 in Katowice (Poland), in cooperation with ICLEI Europe. Invited practitioners and experts discussed the role nature-based solutions (NBS) and multi-level governance play in facilitating the transition of cities and regions to carbon-neutrality.

What does Germany have to do with the Arctic and what impact do Germans' daily decisions have on it? These and other questions were discussed on 22 October 2018 during Ecologic Institute's evening event on Germany's Arctic activities, part of a project for the German Environment Agency (UBA). The evening brought a broader audience together with experts in a scientific setting and enabled exchange interaction with various German organisations at information booths. The evening’s opening event was the premiere of a short documentary film called "Footsteps in the Arctic," which explores to what extent Germans are responsible for the changes in the Arctic and what they can do.

Ecologic Institute's Arctic Summer College, supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, hosted a side event on sustainable development in the Arctic that welcomed over 50 participants in its first session during the Arctic Circle Assembly on 20 October 2018. A recording of the side event is available online.

In this press briefing, the "Coal Reader" is presented. It has been developed by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Wuppertal Institute, and Ecologic Institute. The "Coal Reader" presents options and implications of a phase-out of coal-fired power generation in Germany. It provides facts, explains the pros and cons, and shows the respective scientific background.