Ecologic Institute - Science and Policy for a Sustainable World

Ecologic Institute welcomed the International Climate Protection Fellows of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The visit brought together a highly interdisciplinary group exploring how nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based governance can help turn complex environmental challenges into practical, collaborative action.

More green spaces and trees can help nature thrive in cities. But how much they actually contribute to biodiversity depends on their ecological quality, how well they are connected and how they are managed over the long term. This discussion paper identifies the conditions cities need to develop and maintain high-quality urban nature.

Plastic waste in rivers and seas is a global environmental problem. But how does this waste end up in our waterways – and what can policymakers, scientists and society do about it? Doris Knoblauch, Director of the Resources Programme at Ecologic Institute, will discuss these questions live on WDR 5's "Quarks – Wissenschaft und mehr" on 15 September 2026 at 15:05. Listeners ca...

We are delighted to announce that Dr Sinja Dittmann, lead author of a study investigating plastic pollution in German rivers, has won first prize in the "Wissen der Vielen – Forschungspreis für Citizen Science" (Knowledge of the Many – Citizen Science Research Award). The study draws on data collected through the Plastic Pirates citizen science initiative. The award is also a...

The data and charts in this brief update those presented in our January 2026 paper: Europe's Selective Blindness on Gas: US LNG and the Limits of Supply Diversification. This brief draws on the most recent (2 July 2026) version of Bruegel’s European natural gas imports dataset, covering the first half of 2026.