Ecologic Institute’s Post

🌍 What's next for EU climate policy? Following the recent EU elections, the challenge ahead is clear: how do we sustain momentum towards climate neutrality amidst evolving political shifts? Our focus now is on implementing existing policies while developing new, ambitious strategies. 🎙️🌿🎧 https://lnkd.in/eNmsPg69 In this final episode of the #ClimateOnAir podcast, hosts Aaron Best and Bradlie Martz-Sigala discuss EU climate policy with experts Bettina Kampman (CE Delft) and Benjamin Görlach (Ecologic Institute). They explore future legislative cycles, pinpoint gaps in current policies, and provide practical recommendations for transitioning away from fossil fuels, planning climate-neutral infrastructure, and using public procurement to drive markets for sustainable products. Join us on this transformative journey towards a greener, more sustainable future. 🌿💡 Produced by Ecologic Institute and the University of Eastern Finland, and available on popular streaming platforms. #EUClimatePolicy #ClimateAction #Sustainability #GreenEconomy #ClimateChange

At the dawn of the new EU policy cycle, where does the #EU stand on its journey to become #climate neutral? ⚠The newly launched second annual progress report of the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO) shows positive movement in most sectors and cross-cutting areas, but the pace is still too slow to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. While all building blocks of a climate neutral society stayed within the same progress category compared to ECNO’s 2023 assessment, there are promising changes bubbling under the surface! In six of the assessed building blocks – especially #electricity, #industry, #cleantech, #JustTransition – ECNO has unveiled significant improvements in enabling conditions for the transition, for example: The share of variable renewable electricity generation increased by 2.2%-points per year – a notable improvement to last year’s assessment. Likewise, employment in the renewable energy sector grew significantly, now totalling almost 1.7 million full time equivalents. 🔗 Read more and download the report and summary for policy-makers 👉 https://lnkd.in/ek_XuhCd ECNO, launched in 2023, aims to help the EU achieve climate neutrality by 2050 by providing scientifically rigorous annual checks of real-life progress across 13 economic sectors and cross-cutting areas. This year’s report looks at changes across a comprehensive set of 124 indicators and analyses policy contexts. Ecologic Institute is part of the ECNO consortium, including Instytut Reform, NewClimate Institute, I4CE - Institut de l'économie pour le climat / Institute for Climate Economics, CLIMACT. #EUpolicy #climateneutrality #progressreport #ECNOlaunch

⚽️ Spielunterbrechungen, aufgeweichter Rasen und tanzende Fans unter Wassermassen vom Arenadach – Starkregen ist nicht erst seit der EURO 2024 ein Problem in Deutschland. Das NICHES-Projekt braucht Ihre Unterstützung! 🌧️ Mit Ihrer Hilfe zu einer besseren Anpassung an Starkregen! Extreme Niederschläge werden in Städten wie Berlin immer häufiger und intensiver. Überflutete Straßen, überlastete Abwassersysteme und vollgelaufene Keller sind nur einige der Herausforderungen, die uns bevorstehen. Die negativen Folgen dieser Entwicklungen sind erheblich – von Sachschäden und Wasserverschmutzung bis hin zu steigenden Versicherungssummen und Personenschäden. Hier kommt das NICHES Project ins Spiel: Wir suchen innovative Lösungen zur Anpassung an extreme Wetterereignisse wie Starkregen. In einer Online-Umfrage möchten wir die Auswirkungen von Starkregen und die Wirksamkeit von Anpassungsmaßnahmen untersuchen. Ziel ist es, existierende Ansätze zu evaluieren und neue, effektive Strategien zu entwickeln. 🔍 Was erwartet Sie? ▶ Ihre Erfahrungen und Ihr Wissen zählen: Teilen Sie uns mit, wie stark Starkregen in Ihrem Alltag präsent ist und welche Anpassungsstrategien Sie kennen. ▶ Naturbasierte Lösungen bewerten: Helfen Sie uns, die Akzeptanz und das Potenzial naturbasierter Lösungen in der Stadtplanung zu verstehen. ❓ Warum mitmachen? ▶ Gemeinsam Zukunft gestalten: Ihre Antworten helfen, Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung des Starkregenmanagements zu entwickeln. ▶ Chance auf einen nachhaltigen Fußball: Unter allen Teilnehmer:innen verlosen wir 30 nachhaltig produzierte Fußbälle – passend zur EURO 2024 in Deutschland! ⚡️ Mitmachen und einen Fußball gewinnen: Die Umfrage dauert nur ca. 5 Minuten. Ihre Meinung ist uns wichtig! 👉 Nehmen Sie jetzt an der Umfrage teil: https://lnkd.in/d4Rafr-Y. Mehr Informationen finden Sie auf der NICHES-Website. Gemeinsam können wir die Herausforderungen des Klimawandels meistern! 🔗 NICHES-Website: https://lnkd.in/ddvcFWck #Starkregen #Umweltforschung #Nachhaltigkeit #Berlin #EURO2024 #NaturbasierteLösungen #NbS #Extremwetter #UrbanNature #Klimawandel #Umfrage #NICHES Dr. Benjamin Kupilas, Ida Meyenberg, Dr. Ulf Stein, McKenna Davis, Ewa Iwaszuk, Doris Knoblauch, Linda Mederake, Sandra Naumann, Biodiversa+, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH

📢 New Publication Alert from PREMIER Project 🧪 🔬 We are pleased to share that our team has published an important article in Drug Discovery Today. The article, "Design of greener drugs: aligning parameters in pharmaceutical R&D and drivers for environmental impact," addresses the challenges and opportunities in developing pharmaceuticals that are both safe for patients and environmentally sustainable. This work is a collaboration between think tanks, universities, regulators, research-based pharmaceutical companies, and SMEs. The article explores the integration of environmental considerations into pharmaceutical R&D, balancing parameters like metabolic stability and lipophilicity with environmental concerns such as persistence, mobility, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicity. 💡 Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Predictive Tools & High-Throughput Screening: Early assessment of environmental impacts is crucial. 2️⃣ Focus on Environmental Persistence: Improving degradability can mitigate broader environmental risks. 3️⃣ Strategic Benefits for Pharma Companies: Proactive environmental management enhances reputation, market positioning, and regulatory compliance. We invite you to read the full article to learn more about this significant step towards sustainable pharma innovation. 📰 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dBen_Pnz 👩🔬 This important work was made possible by a dedicated team of scientists and industry experts Rodrigo Vidaurre (PREMIER Project), Irene Bramke, Neele Puhlmann, Stewart F. Owen, Daniela Angst, Caroline Moermond, Bastiaan Venhuis, Anna Lombardo, Klaus Kümmerer, Tiina Sikanen, Jim Ryan, Andreas Häner, Gemma Janer Silvio Roggo, Alison Nimrod Perkins #Sustainability #PharmaInnovation #EnvironmentalScience #GreenPharma #DrugDiscovery #PREMIERProject #EcologicInstitute #CollaborativeResearch #SustainableDevelopment

📢 Register: Launch of the annual ECNO progress report The European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO) will launch its 2nd annual report assessing the EU's progress towards climate neutrality next week. Coming out during a political juncture shortly after the EU elections, ECNO's EU-wide assessment of on-the-ground progress in 13 building blocks of a #ClimateNeutral society, and their respective policy context, names key areas of action for the incoming #EU policy cycle. 📅 📌 At the launch event on 02 July, in Brussels or online, ECNO will unveil the report's key findings and discuss: ✔ The current state of the EU progress to climate neutrality, with two thematic panels on industrial transformation and just transition ✔ Areas where progress is on track, and those where more action is needed ✔ Insights and recommendations for incoming EU policy-makers Be part of an insightful event where the ECNO experts, including Eike Karola Velten, Matthias Duwe, Markus Hagemann, and Clara Calipel, will present the state of progress in key transition areas. In two moderated thematic exchanges, one focusing on industrial transformation and the other on a just transition for EU citizens, the participants will also hear from top experts in the respective fields. ➡️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/dwK4uxPz ECNO is a consortium of leading European research organisations, consisting of Ecologic Institute, CLIMACT, NewClimate Institute, Instytut Reform, and I4CE - Institut de l'économie pour le climat / Institute for Climate Economics. ℹ️ More about ECNO: #ECNO #EUClimateAction #FitFor55 #Sustainability

🌊 Plastic Pirates Herbstkampagne 2024 – Gemeinsam für saubere Meere und Flüsse! 📢 Schulklassen, Jugendgruppen und Lehrerschaft aufgepasst: Die Plastic Pirates starten eine neue Forschungsexpedition und ihr könnt dabei sein! Ab Herbst 2024 nehmen wir erstmals die Küsten von Nord- und Ostsee unter die Lupe und erforschen das Ausmaß und die Arten von Plastikmüll, die unsere Meere verschmutzen. Geht mit uns aktiv gegen die Plastikverschmutzung vor und sammelt wertvolle wissenschaftliche Daten! Wie könnt ihr teilnehmen? 🔹 Wer: Schulklassen und Jugendgruppen 🔹 Wo: Strände der Nord- und Ostsee, Elbe- und Donausystem mit allen Zuflüssen 🔹 Wann: 15. September bis 15. November 2024 🔹 Wie: Kostenfreie Teilnahme mit Aktionsheft und Lehrmaterialien, bestellbar ab Mitte August 2024 (vormerken!) 👉 Weitere Informationen und Aktionsmaterialien: https://lnkd.in/dxEygQcW Warum mitmachen? ▶ Wissenschaft live erleben: Werdet selbst zu Wissenschaftler:innen und untersucht die Umwelt. ▶ Gemeinsam gegen Plastikmüll: Tragt zur Lösung der Plastikkrise bei. ▶ Europäische Zusammenarbeit: Seid Teil der Initiative "Plastic Pirates – Go Europe! 📊 Und danach? Eure Daten werden von der Kieler Forschungswerkstatt und dem Ecologic Institute ausgewertet, um wirksame Lösungen gegen Plastikverschmutzung zu entwickeln. #PlasticPirates #CitizenScience #Umweltschutz #Nachhaltigkeit #Wissenschaft #Plastikfrei #GoEurope

🚨 New publications on the EU Methane Regulation 🚨 We are thrilled to announce the publication of a series of three papers on the implementation of the EU Methane Regulation at the national level. The regulation has just been formally adopted on June 13 and is expected to enter into force in July. This is a significant step towards reducing #MethaneEmissions. Methane (CH₄) is the second most damaging greenhouse gas after CO₂, with a particularly strong climate impact in the short term (10-20 years). Mitigating CH₄ emissions is crucial to slowing down climate change. The #EUMethaneRegulation is a benchmark for best practices at the global level and is essential for climate mitigation. However, its impact will largely depend on the quality of its implementation at the national level. 📃 Our three papers provide thorough analysis and proposals to support this implementation. They focus on: 1️⃣ Tasks and resources needed at the national level. This paper describes in detail the #tasks of the responsible ministries and of the competent authorities. It also provides a step-by step analysis of how they can be implemented and of the resources needed to accomplish them. 2️⃣ Governance at the national level: responsible ministries and competent authorities (CA). The second paper discusses #governance options concerning the allocation of the functions of the national CA foreseen by the EU Methane Regulation. It argues that the CA should have a sufficient degree of autonomy from the political power and the responsible ministries. 3️⃣ Penalty regime and selected legal issues. This paper discusses how Member States can establish a #penalty regime that conforms with the provisions of the Regulation. The paper proposes to apply a core reference value proportional to the amount of methane emissions associated with infringement. The paper also discusses the “reasonable efforts” of importers regarding existing contracts, the legal powers of the CA, and the delegation of inspection activities. 📌🔗 Find more information and links to all three papers here: https://lnkd.in/dvF6S2uc The three papers were written by Ecologic Institute’s Raffaele Piria with co-authors Ramiro de la Vega, Leon Martini, Eike Karola Velten, Stephan Sina and Lina-Marie Dück, in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund. #EUMethaneRegulation #MRV #LDAR #GlobalMethanePledge #GHGemissions

🚨 Urgent Need for Subsidy Reform 🚨 The latest article on Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) delves into the critical steps needed for comprehensive subsidy reform. The authors, Anthony Cox, Ken Ash, and Peter Draper show, that subventions, while initially beneficial, are causing significant economic and environmental harm. International bodies like OECD - OCDE, International Monetary Fund, and The World Bank must spearhead efforts to distinguish and phase out harmful subsidies.   Key sectors like fossil fuels and agriculture urgently need reform to ensure sustainable development. ▶ Read more about the essential reforms needed here: https://lnkd.in/dkgZac9z #Sustainability #SubsidyReform #GlobalEconomy #EnvironmentalImpact #SustainableDevelopment

🌱 We are excited to share our latest report on supporting the #SustainabilityTransition in Central Eastern Europe (CEE) agri-food systems. This report highlights key strategies for achieving climate goals, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting #SoilHealth and #ClimateResilience in the region. For more insights and detailed recommendations, check out the full report 👉 https://lnkd.in/d5QpAGuJ This report is part of the project “Capacity Building for Ambitious Climate Action in the Agri-food Sector in Central Eastern Europe”, implemented by Ecologic Institute, Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), Ricardo plc and a number of national experts from #CEE countries, funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. #AgriFood #climate #biodiversity #ClimateAction #CapacityBuilding