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In 2015, the United Nations formulated 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goals are intended to help end poverty, protect the planet and achieve prosperity for all. The Leibniz Association therefore hosted a one-day conference on this topic in Berlin on 14 September. Experts from politics and science were invited to present and discuss the current state of research regarding the SDGs and their implementation. Almost 200 participants came to the Leibniz Association headquarter.

The world population is growing while resources are dwindling. New innovations are needed to feed and clothe people and to provide them with clean water and energy. The bioeconomy offers new approaches and solutions: algae can become fuel, plastic can be recycled, and waste turned into furniture or clothing. According to the European Commission, the bioeconomy even has the potential to generate 1 million new green jobs by the year 2030.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a natural component of air. However, industrial exhaust fumes, car traffic or electricity generation bring additional quantities of the greenhouse gas into the Earth's atmosphere, which drives global warming.

Environmental pollution caused by plastic waste is a hot-button issue right now - whether it's waste islands in the oceans or microplastics in the fields which eventually end up in the intestines of humans. However, plastic packaging cannot be dispensed off everywhere. Thus, more and more biodegradable plastics are being produced, which are supposed to have less impact on the environment.

It’s been more than six years since the European Commission has launched and adopted the first Bioeconomy Strategy for Europe.

Plastics, plastic packaging and the resulting waste threatening the environment as well as our health are on everyone's mind at the moment.

More than 400 experts gathered at the EUREF campus in Berlin Schöneberg on 5 November to discuss and compare the state of the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development on an international level. Three years after the approval of the agenda, there is clear progress regarding implementation. However, in order to fully realize and achieve these goals, the respective efforts will have to be increased.

Recently, the European Commission announced an updated Bioeconomy Strategy containing an action plan to develop a sustainable and circular bioeconomy for all of Europe.

In 2010, 196 member states of the United Nations adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources.

What if we could redesign everything? That is the tagline of dif – the disruptive innovation festival. dif is curated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a non-profit organisation headquartered in the UK aiming to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy. Five years after its inception, DIF has become a one-of-a-kind online festival that took place from November 6 to 23 this year. Their programme contained more than 100 items, including studio discussions, live streaming events, podcasts and film productions.