War in Europe, the worsening climate crisis, Europe's position in the global power structure: the EU is facing historic challenges. The European elections in June 2024 will decide what happens next. Current surveys see right-wing populist parties on the rise. They stir up fears about the future and stir up sentiment against Brussels without themselves having answers to the problems of our time. But we need positive and courageous ideas for Europe.
The EP 2024 elections could either invigorate the EU enlargement process or introduce new challenges, making it imperative to explore the possible impacts and strategic responses for the Western Balkans in this evolving context.
Heinrich Böll, a renowned German author, achieved bestselling status with his poignant works. In 1972, he made history by becoming the first German writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature after World War II. His novels and stories, still widely studied in schools today, have earned him a place among the literary classics. However, the personal experiences and motivations that shaped Böll's writing remain lesser known. This concise introduction aims to shed light on the life and driving forces behind one of Germany's most influential post-war voices.
The fourth edition of the European Green Deal Barometer, the annual survey by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), gathers sustainability experts’ views on the progress of the European Green Deal’s implementation. The 2024 EU elections are considered by sustainability experts to negatively impact the European Green Deal implementation. However, these experts believe the agenda will be maintained by the new European Commission.
Core services, including energy, food, water, housing and healthcare, are essential for a decent standard of living. The economic dynamics of these services in Europe, however, vary greatly, particularly in the extent of commercialisation. Essential healthcare stands out as a service delivered largely outside of the market; by contrast, food and energy are commercialised in most
European countries. The commercialised status of energy in Europe can have an impact on living standards, particularly when accompanied by inadequate regulation.
The climate crisis and energy price explosion have made it clear: the EU cannot afford its dependency on fossil fuels anymore. How to deal with these enormous challenges? Our 100% Renewable Action Plan for the next European Commission describes what needs to happen after the 2024 European elections to harvest the benefits of renewables.
Jacob Mardell compares the US and EU strategies to ensure access to raw materials necessary for the green transition in the face of global competition and shows how these should be based on genuine and inclusive partnerships rather than just economic interests.
The 2024 U.S. elections will be closely watched around the world, especially in Europe. The United States is the European Union’s most important partner, guaranteeing Europe’s security through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). A potential shift toward a less internationalist and more isolationist U.S. foreign policy would have profound implications for the continent.
The Peatland Atlas 2023 highlights the consequences of the destruction of these unique habitats, but also the potential of wet peatlands for mitigating climate change.
The Pesticide Atlas raises awareness, provides comprehensive information and fosters nuanced debate around agrochemicals used for pest control. It sheds light on different aspects from scientific research, including the impact of pesticides on soils, waters, biodiversity and health, and highlights alternative models with a more stringent implementation of integrated pest management where synthetic substances are only a last resort option.
There is hardly any other food that pollutes our environment and the climate as badly as meat. However, no government in the world currently has a concept of how meat consumption and production can be significantly reduced. But if the sector continues to grow as it has up to now, almost 360 million tons of meat will be produced and consumed worldwide in 2030. With ecological effects that are hard to imagine.
Sustainable transport and mobility are key to tackle the climate crisis and to achieve the targets of the European Green Deal. However, transport today accounts for nearly 30 percent of the CO₂ emissions within the European Union. How can the EU reduce its transport and mobility emissions while connecting citizens, creating green jobs and leading the innovation in the sector?
Insects are a fundamental part of the basis of life in our world. The extent of insect mortality in Germany, in Europe and worldwide is therefore dramatic. The Insect Atlas 2020 explains why the industrial agricultural industry in particular is threatening the habitats of insects so massively, what ways out are possible, and many other exciting aspects. It provides data and facts about beneficial and harmful insects in agriculture, formulates criticism of the overly hesitant policy to protect them.
Plastic is ubiquitous: we use it for life-saving medical devices, clothing, toys and cosmetics; we use it in agriculture and industry. But we also know the growing risk of plastic waste in the environment, landfills and the oceans. We have only just begun to understand the huge dimensions of this crisis. A change of course requires in-depth knowledge of the causes, interests, responsibilities and effects of the plastics crisis. The Plastics Atlas 2019 wants to offer exactly that in 19 chapters.
Facts and Figures on EU Farming Policy: No other economic activity is so closely interwoven with the human and natural environment as is agriculture. If farming changes, so too the ecological and social systems that it hosts must change. The Agriculture Atlas shows how closely Europe’s agriculture is intertwined with our lives and our living space and pushes for a better, fundamentally different set of agricultural policies.
The European Energy Atlas shows a clear alternative: It not only provides a compass on the different energy discussions in different Member States but also reveals how a Europeanization of the energy transition will be the more efficient and cost-effective option for all Europeans.
Without the ocean there would be no life on our planet. But the future of this unique ecosystem faces a grave threat today. The Ocean Atlas 2017 delivers with its 18 contributions and 50 graphics the relevant facts and figures about the ocean.
Industrial agriculture is responsible for both colossal environmental and climate damage as well as global injustice. It is high time for a socially and politically oriented regulation of the agrifood industry. We hope that this atlas will stimulate a broad-based social debate on this vital topic.
Through misuse, we lose 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil every year. For the International Year of Soils in 2015, this Atlas shows, why the soil should concern us all. Jointly published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies.
Our Coal Atlas contains the latest facts and figures on the use of coal and its environmental and social consequences. With more than 60 detailed graphics, the atlas illustrates the coal industry’s impact on nature, health, labour, human rights and politics.
