3 Questions on the "AI Continent Action Plan" to Alexandra Geese MEP 3 Questions We are in the middle of the AI race. On April 9, Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen presented the EU's new AI Continent Action Plan. The goal? Making Europe a global hub for AI innovation. No more talk of bans or limitations. The action plan is about boosting competitiveness and claiming leadership. We asked Alexandra Geese MEP (Greens/EFA) what this shift means. By Alexandra Geese and Zora Siebert
Agroecology: Our roots of change Dossier Agroecology is far more than a set of sustainable agricultural practices. It puts peasants and indigenous voices at the centre. It seeks to preserve biocultural diversity and strengthen resilience while challenging existing power structures in the food system. This dossier is a collaborative effort of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung offices and our partner organisations worldwide to highlight the diversity of agroecological initiatives within our global network. From community-led digital innovations to public policy strategies, it explores how agroecology redefines food systems and promotes people’s agency. By Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Human rights: rights versus reality Soil Atlas 2024 Equitable access to land and fertile soil is fundamental to realising human rights, such as the right to food. Although numerous United Nations declarations on land rights have been ratified by national governments, deadly land conflicts persist throughout the world. By Dr. Jes Weigelt and Frederike Klümper
Agroecology: policies that keep soil alive Soil Atlas 2024 Agroecology is a response to an industrial model of agriculture that exploits people and damages soils. In Brazil, agroecology is making significant breakthroughs in social and environmental terms. But one thing is already clear: government policy is needed to promote agroecology and confront the agroindustrial model. By Júlia Dolce and Lucas Gattai
True costs: hidden effects Soil Atlas 2024 Land degradation has numerous invisible costs – environmental, health, social, and economic. True Cost Accounting renders these costs visible, offering a clearer picture of the impact of land degradation. By Olivia Riemer, Marlene Ohlau, Jenny Lay-Kumar and Mark Schauer
Regreening the desert: land and soil restoration in the Sahara and Sahel Soil Atlas 2024 The Sahara Desert is expanding, thereby threatening millions of people’s lives and livelihoods. While many large-scale initiatives have been launched to combat desertification, most lack secure funding. Bottom-up techniques, implemented by local farmers, show how Indigenous knowledge can drive restoration. By Mawa Karambiri
How Saudi Arabia’s Neom Giga project became a global showroom of false climate solutions Analysis Alongside other European powers, the UK is helping to supercharge Saudi Arabia’s attempt to hijack the global sustainability agenda. By Lyse Mauvais
The last stretch: reaping the benefits of the sustainable finance framework Analysis The EU has already taken important actions for private finance to support the transition to a greener economy, and it cannot waste this one chance to finish the work. The sustainable finance legislative framework could help boost the European economy going forward – it is the last stretch before reaping the benefits of the efforts made so far. By Vincent Vandeloise
The future of the EU trade and sustainability agenda in turbulent times Analysis The outgoing European Commission has upscaled the use of unilateral trade instruments to achieve security, competitiveness and sustainability objectives. In times of environmental crises and rising geopolitical tensions, the incoming European Commission should implement the ambition to embed European trade within planetary boundaries and revive international cooperation around environmental trade goals. By Simon Happersberger and Eleanor Mateo
Europe Sustainable Development Report 2023/24 Report The Europe Sustainable Development Report 2023/24 (5th edition) provides an independent quantitative assessment of the progress by the European Union, its member states and partner countries towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).