The Many Facets of Sustainable Finance: Perspectives from France and Italy Explainer Sustainable finance in France and Italy marks a vital shift towards eco-friendly and socially responsible investments. These countries lead by example, but the path is layered with challenges. It highlights the urgent need for clear standards and transparent practices to genuinely drive a greener, more inclusive future. Reflecting on this, the real test lies in enhancing and enforcing sustainable finance measures globally to unlock its transformative impact. By Marine Cornelis
Sustainable Safety: the Dutch Approach to Safe Road Design Backgrounder This text provides a brief history of traffic safety in the Netherlands, an introduction to the Sustainable Safety approach, and presentation of the results since its implementation. The text concludes with a discussion of the intended development of Sustainable Safety and its implications for the future of traffic safety in the Netherlands and beyond. By Anna Wyner
How does the European Union plan on making its food system more sustainable Explainer A few decades ago, food sustainability was largely ignored in Europe, but now it's a major concern for policymakers, businesses, and the public. The EU's Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, with its 2030 goals, is crucial for reaching the broader climate neutrality target set for 2050, highlighting the urgent need to overhaul the EU's food system. By Alex Matulina
Solving the fashion industry’s waste problem via community-driven innovation Commentary The fashion industry’s status as one of the most polluting industries is no longer news. Nevertheless, it is still far from becoming sustainable, producing tons of textile waste every year on a global scale with less than 1% of clothing being recycled. By Nicole Stein and Vered Blass
What is the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and what does it mean for Israel? Explainer Taking a new approach to carbon leakage, the EU has announced it will implement a ‘carbon border adjustment mechanism’ (CBAM) as part of the EU Green Deal. This explainer provides an overview of the key design elements of the Commission’s proposal, and assesses its relevance for exporters from Israel. By Michael Jakob
Carbon Pricing and Just Transition Commentary Economically, carbon pricing is regarded as the most efficient climate change mitigation policy, as it provides the flexibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest cost. A key question is whether carbon pricing yields socially equitable outcomes. As placing a price on carbon raises the price of fossil fuels, it affects social groups differently. By Michael Jakob
The Circular Valley Case-Study The Circular Valley is a regional initiative currently bringing together more than 50 companies and research organizations around Wuppertal, which aims to implement the idea of a circular economy into practice. By Henning Wilts
Fashion Recycling: Are We There Yet? Commentary Fast Fashion and the current hyper-consumption of clothing has a huge impact on the environment and is unsustainable. Globally, an estimated 92 million tones of textile waste is accumulated each year. Could clothing recycling help to reduce the toll our fashion addiction has on the environment? By Olga Cieslak
What is the status of energy poverty in the Europe? Explainer Before the pandemic outbreak, at least 34 million Europeans could not heat their homes adequately in the winter, and 30.3 million people could not afford to pay utility bills, such as energy bills. These issues already have powerful implications today from a public health or productivity point of view. By Marine Cornelis
The Transition to Electric Vehicles in Israel Explainer Israel has great potential for adopting EVs. As a relatively small and densely-populated country, it requires a simple charging infrastructure. It has its own sources of natural gas, relatively low electricity prices, and high fuel prices that can push the market to adopt EVs. By Michal Reut-Gelbart