The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted profound inequalities and vulnerabilities across the Global South, particularly in areas such as energy access, urban resilience, and environmental governance. Contributors to the IASS study analyzed challenges and potential pathways toward sustainable recovery, emphasizing the role of renewable energy, urban planning, and climate-smart economic strategies. The pandemic exposed systemic fragilities, demonstrating the urgent need for holistic, integrated approaches to development that address economic, environmental, and social dimensions simultaneously.

Ecologic Institute and Landscape Integrated are conducting a practical test of the recommended procedures for monitoring the success of hydromorphological measures in and along flowing waters.

COP16, held in Cali, Colombia, marked an important moment in the global effort to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Two years after its adoption, COP16 underscored the need for decisive action, particularly in the realm of biodiversity finance. Negotiations under the banner of "Peace with Nature" centered on closing the $200 billion annual biodiversity financing gap, with mixed outcomes.

Carbon farming allows farmers to mitigate climate change, but these practices also impact other sustainability outcomes, including biodiversity, soil health, and water. In this brief, we propose how the EU's regulation establishing a Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Certification Framework (CRCF) can ensure that carbon farming also delivers sustainability benefits, in the context of carbon farming on mineral soils.

On 14 November 2024, the district of Wittmund (Lower Saxony, North Sea coast, Germany) hosted a workshop addressing key challenges at the intersection of marine and coastal protection, sustainable tourism, and climate adaptation. For the first time, marine protection will feature as a dedicated focus in the district's climate protection and adaptation concepts, reflecting a progressive approach to tackling climate impacts in the North Sea region.

The project is targeted at postgraduate students, professionals and managers from developing countries and provides them with a wide range of skills in environmental management. It combines lecture series and interactive workshops to deepen the understanding of sustainable approaches such as ecosystem-based management (EBM), nature-based solutions (NbS) and restoration measures and to promote practical skills. The events on Vilm Island (May 30 to October 23, 2024) as well as previous formats, such as the 88th UNEP/UNESCO/BMUV course focusing on water resource management (October 2023 in Dresden), played a central role in knowledge transfer. The aim is to equip future decision-makers with the necessary tools to effectively tackle complex environmental and societal challenges.

In the face of rapidly changing marine environments, innovative strategies are essential to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainability. Gregory Fuchs recently led a series of workshops on the island of Vilm (Baltic Sea, Germany), highlighting how Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) and Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) can address complex marine challenges. He also shared insights from research projects like Marine SABRES.

Climate-friendly soil management measures generate climate impact through both temporary carbon removals and emissions reductions, posing a challenge for defining key terms such as "carbon removals", "emissions reductions," "avoided emissions," and "negative emissions". This brief reviews scientific definitions of these key terms to create a mini-glossary and discuss key definitional issues in the soil carbon context. A key conclusion is that different policy contexts require definitions to be adapted.

On 8 November 2024, the final webinar of the EU project PONDERFUL took place. Led by Professor Jeremy Biggs (Freshwater Habitats Trust) and Hugh McDonald (Ecologic Institute), it discussed how national and regional plans can be developed to protect, restore and create ponds and ponded landscapes. The aim was to inform policymakers on how these small but effective ecosystems can be used as nature-based solutions (NbS) to adapt to and mitigate climate change.

At the International Pond Conference 2024, which took place online from 12 to 13 November 2024, Hugh McDonald from the Ecologic Institute in Berlin presented the results of a comprehensive study on the financing of ponds and pond landscapes as nature-based solutions (NbS). The work analyzed public and private financing models and assessed their suitability for the implementation of pondscapes, and for financing NbS more broadly.

The recently published guide "Using ponds and pondscapes as nature-based solutions" is a practical guide for policy makers. The guide provides detailed recommendations on using ponds and pondscapes as nature-based solutions, in particular to adapt to climate change and promote biodiversity. In addition to the policy dimension, it contains practical suggestions for monitoring, management and restoration of ponds.

The technical handbook of the PONDERFUL project shows how ponds and pond landscapes can be used as Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to tackle societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and water scarcity. The PONDERFUL handbook provides practice-oriented guidelines for dealing with these valuable ecosystems and shows how ponds can be integrated into existing landscapes so that nature and people benefit equally.

On 21 October 2024, Ecologic Institute hosted a delegation from Beijing, accompanied by representatives from GIZ. This visit took place in the context of the project "Analyses of German and European Climate Law Structure," and underscores the Institute's commitment to fostering global knowledge exchange on climate action.

The Conference "Implementing the EU 2040 Climate Target: Building blocks and measures" took place in Brussels on 7 November2024. This conference convened experts, policymakers, and representatives of Member States and EU Institutions. At the event, participants discussed ways for the implementation of the EUs new 2040 climate targets. Participants also discussed key building blocks and key measures particularly relevant for cutting the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by net 90 % in 2040. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) and Sabine Gores (Öko-Institute) presented preliminary results of the forthcoming report "Implementing the EU 2040 Climate Target: Building Blocks and Measures" were presented.

On 6-7 November 2024, representatives from 15 small and medium-sized cities in Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Croatia gathered in Chemnitz for a study tour as part of the Ready4NetZero project. Funded by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate, this event brought together 29 participants to explore strategies for achieving climate neutrality in urban settings.