Ecology

Plastic waste, industrial effluent, chemicals: scarcely a single body of water is safe. They threaten ecosystems, biodiversity, and human health. The solution to the wave of pollutants? A circular economy that conserves resources.

From farms to factories, from smartphones to kitchen taps, global water consumption and demand are rising, driven by agriculture and industry. At the same time, reserves are shrinking, worsened by the climate crisis, overuse, and unequal access. Efficient, fair, and sustainable management is becoming a critical global priority.

Healthy ecosystems purify water and protect against floods and droughts. However, the climate crisis is disrupting natural cycles and threatening habitats around the world. Protecting peatlands, wetlands, and coastal areas is not only an ecological priority but also a social imperative.

Water is vital for life on Earth. But overuse, pollution, and the climate crisis are endangering global water reserves, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and humans. To overcome crises, we must manage water sustainably.

Rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere warm the oceans, melt icecaps and make extreme weather such as droughts and floods more frequent. Those most severely affected are least able to protect themselves.

Defence topped the October EUCO agenda. Read our Böll EU Newsletter 10/2025 for analysis on Europe’s evolving defence landscape, the political crisis in France, Czech elections, local housing solutions and our upcoming events.

Levies, charges, and taxes make electricity expensive – and hinder the switch to the climate-friendly, electricity-based alternatives that we urgently need. Yet many companies and consumers have long been ready to make the change. The technology is already available, often from German manufacturers, who have been waiting for years for a market breakthrough. Instead, Katherina Reiche's reckless wrong-way drive continues unabated.

Czechia voted for change – but what kind? Andrej Babiš makes a comeback, the Greens return to parliament, and populism takes a new shape. Adéla Jurečková, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague office, breaks down the results and what they mean for Czech democracy and the EU.

The electrical interconnection between Crete and mainland Greece was completed and has been in operation since May 2025. Connecting the island of Crete with the mainland allows the country to finally tap into the abundant wind and solar energy potential on Crete and to switch off old and polluting power plants. At the same time, the Ariadne interconnection builds the foundation for advancing green energy in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Climate policy demands long-term vision, backed by action. The EU is at risk of under-delivering. Read our Böll EU Newsletter 9/2025 and check out our new content and upcoming events.