Rome, like many cities in Southern and Western Europe, is facing significant challenges from climate change, particularly in the form of Urban Heat Islands (UHI). To address these risks, PwC is leading a project funded by the EU's DG REFORM, with the Ecologic Institute playing a key supporting role. This project will develop a detailed UHI risk profile for Rome, integrating data on the city’s demographics, urban layout, transportation systems, and green spaces.

On behalf of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz – BfN), Ecologic Institute, together with other project partners, is supporting the planning and implementation of the national restoration plans. Ecologic Institute actively contributes to the content of the work, in particular through its expertise in the assessment of ecosystem conditions and the development of measures for the protection and restoration of inland and coastal ecosystems.

Ecologic Institute is preparing an assessment report on “Technological options for reducing plastic waste in the oceans”. The report will provide a systematic overview of technologies designed to remove plastic waste from water bodies. The analysis will evaluate technical, ecological and economic aspects as well as risks and benefits. The report will present the current state of knowledge in a concise and scientifically robust manner, identify gaps in knowledge and provide a basis for informed decisions.

The aim of the project is to obtain as accurate an overview as possible of the ecosystems in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea before the start of intensive human use. This will support the development of a scientific basis for decision-making that will enable the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the North Sea and Baltic Sea authorities to identify the need for political action to establish specific marine protected areas, to reintroduce projects in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea and to initiate appropriate measures.

The aim of the project is to support German federal and state activities in the development of guidelines for dealing with water scarcity. The focus is on two aspects: the management of acute water scarcity and the strategic, forward-looking authorization of water withdrawals. By analyzing the legal framework, data and forecasts, scientifically sound indicators and prioritization approaches are developed. Special emphasis is placed on the involvement of relevant stakeholders in order to ensure acceptance and practicability.

The marine Arctic is facing rapidly changing environmental conditions that are likely to require improved and adaptive management tools to protect its specialized ecosystems. Together with the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) and the Research Institute for Sustainability, Helmholtz Center Potsdam (RIFS), Ecologic institute conducts research for the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, supported by the Federal Ministry for Environment (BMUV), on potential new dynamics of Arctic marine protection and adaptive management from different angles.

This project will support the European Commission's DG CLIMA to develop policies related to the financing of permanent carbon removal technologies, with an emphasis on mechanisms that can accelerate their upscaling. These include tools like public procurement, public-private partnerships, and EU funding instruments.

The increasing frequency of floods and droughts highlights the urgent need for climate-resilient landscapes. This is where the European research project SpongeWorks comes in, demonstrating sustainable "sponge" measures in river basins across Greece, France, and the Netherlands/Germany. By restoring rivers, wetlands, and implementing innovative agricultural practices, landscapes are becoming better equipped to retain and release water in a controlled way. With 28 partners involved, the project aims to inspire other regions by sharing success stories and tools to promote "sponge landscapes" across Europe.

In the context of the political goal of strengthening the reuse of used goods, the project aimed at supporting and executing re-use measures in Berlin in order to foster structures and actors in Berlin that bring the used goods market out of its niche. To do so, the project draws on the experience of several predecessor projects including initial pilot tests, networking activities and the opening of the Re-Use Superstore.

With ZirTeNet, Ecologic Institute supports the networking and coordination of sixteen research and innovation projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the programme "Resource-efficient circular economy – circular textiles".

The aim of the project is to support the promotion of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in tropical and subtropical coastal regions. This is to be achieved by strengthening the technical information base, promoting the international exchange of experience and developing and communicating policy- and implementation-oriented recommendations for action to decision-makers.

Digital technologies have the potential to close economic loops, reduce CO2-emissions and increase resource efficiency. However, the possibilities of digitalisation for shaping a comprehensive circular economy are far from exhausted. This research project investigates how digital solutions can support consumers in aligning their consumption with sustainable and circular criteria.

In the course of the project, a comprehensive research, analysis and evaluation of certification systems for recycled plastics will be carried out. A central aim of the project is to enable a simple and quick comparison of the identified, analysed and evaluated certification systems.

Ecologic Institute supports the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) in preparing the ratification of the so-called BBNJ Agreement and the related German implementing laws. The BBNJ Agreement of June 2023 is a UN treaty and the first multilateral legal framework for the protection of biodiversity on the high seas. Ecologic Institute identifies the obligations for Germany and which of them require new legislation, and drafts legal proposals for implementing provisions.

Livestock GHG-emissions are a significant contributor to agricultural GHG emissions. The latest Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding period has integrated several funding mechanisms designed to support the implementation of environmental and climate friendly practices through measures such as the eco-schemes and the agri-environmental-climate measures. Despite these positive approaches to reduce the emissions from livestock, the CAP still entails the risk of subsidizing high-emissions livestock production, in particular through coupled income support. This underlines the need for better understanding CAP funding mechanism for effective reduction of livestock emissions.