Soils are an enormous reservoir of carbon, containing nearly twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. Preventing soil carbon from entering the atmosphere is essential for climate mitigation efforts. Moreover, agricultural soils also carry a large potential for additional carbon sequestration, especially already degraded soils. Both preserving and enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) has further benefits, contributing to improved soil quality, agricultural productivity, biodiversity and water protection and thus increased resilience against climate change. CIRCASA project aimed at strengthening the coordination and synergies in European and global research on SOC sequestration in agricultural soils, leading to an improved understanding and scientific basis to target ambitious practices required to preserve and enhance SOC.

Global demand for minerals is growing rapidly, driven by rapid population growth, urbanisation and an increasingly diverse range of technical applications. Global material supply chains linking the extraction, transport and processing stages of raw materials have become increasingly complex and today involve multiple players and product components. An interactive platform that provides transparency about existing approaches and information gaps concerning global material flows is needed to understand these global supply chains; developing this capability is critical for maintaining competitiveness in the European economy.

Hydropower plants can offer a reliable and clean source of energy. However, these installations can often pose difficult challenges for the surrounding environment, particularly the fish species living in the rivers. FIThydro (Fishfriendly Innovative Technologies for Hydropower) is a 4-year EU research and innovation action (funded under H2020) which aims to support decisions on commissioning and operating hydropower plants (HPP) by use of existing and innovative technologies. It concentrates on mitigation measures to develop cost-effective environmental solutions and strategies to avoid individual fish damage and to support the development of self-sustainable fish populations. FIThydro brings together 26 partners from 10 countries, involving several of the leading companies in the renewable and hydropower energy sector in Europe.

Nature is important for the urban environment: trees grant shade during the summer months, while parks and lakes function as areas for relaxation, as places where the urban population comes together, and as space where children can experience nature and learn about it in an active way. Furthermore, the wellbeing of the urban population thrives under the benefits of nature, which include an extensive list of ecological benefits. These include, for example, climate change mitigation and a pleasant urban climate. Ecologic Institute is part of the European research project NATURVATION, which analyses nature-based solutions in urban areas.

CIRCULAR IMPACTS will assist the EU and its policy makers in realizing the transition from its current predominantly linear economy to a circular economy, by establishing a flexible and accessible evidence base with concrete data on macro-economic, societal, environmental and labour market impacts of this transition, and by adding relevant knowledge to that evidence base. For this purpose a web platform will be designed, which facilitates easy access to data repositories and fills up the existing knowledge gap in the European Commission’s impact assessments by mapping the benefits of a circular economy for both environment and economy. Furthermore, these identified benefits should convince member states to implement the required changes in order to 'close the loop' in the context of the European Semester.

Climate adaptation innovations could significantly reduce Europe's exposure to climate hazards such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather. However, many innovations fail to reach the market because innovators lack the funds and ability to turn their prototypes into market-ready products. BRIGAID is a four year Horizon 2020 research project that aims to bridge the gap between prototype and market. It supports innovators to test and implement their innovation and develop their business. By developing practical tools and methods, BRIGAID aims to further climate adaptation innovation and ultimately reduce the impact of climate change in Europe.

Across the globe, nearly 30% of food is wasted throughout the agrifood supply chain. The EU Horizon 2020 funded project "Resource Efficient Food and dRink for the Entire Supply cHain" (REFRESH) takes action against food waste. 26 partners from 12 European countries and China work towards the project's goal to contribute towards Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 of halving per capita food waste at the retail and consumer level and reducing food losses along production and supply chains, reducing waste management costs, and maximizing the value from un-avoidable food waste and packaging materials. REFRESH runs from 2015-2019.

Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS EU policies (AQUACROSS) aims to support EU efforts to protect aquatic biodiversity and ensure the provision of aquatic ecosystem services. Funded by Europe's Horizon 2020 research programme, AQUACROSS seeks to advance knowledge and application of ecosystem-based management (EBM) for aquatic ecosystems to support the timely achievement of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy targets.

The bioeconomy holds potential solutions to important challenges of the future. The social, economic and environmental impacts associated with its products and processes, however, will require extensive dialogue processes on the future development of the bioeconomy. Coordinated by Ecologic Institute, the BioSTEP project aims at promoting stakeholder engagement and public awareness for a participative governance of the European bioeconomy.

The overall objective of multEE is to improve the consistency and quality of energy efficiency policy planning and implementation on different administrative levels in the beneficiary countries. The multEE-project supports this objective through the introduction of innovative monitoring and verification (M&V) schemes based on bottom-up data to ensure the impact of energy efficiency measures is correctly evaluated and useable for future energy efficiency planning. Moreover, multEE aims at improving vertical coordination between administrative levels in order to use the full potential of the integrated M&V schemes developed in multEE and improve the overall quality of energy efficiency planning and implementation.