This year, our work at the Wuppertal Institute is shaped by growing concern that the central foundations of our social and political cohesion are being challenged, including mounting pressure on science, evidence-based policy-making and independent media. These developments are no longer confined to individual countries but are becoming a global phenomenon – and one of the central battlegrounds in this discourse is climate and sustainability policy. We see this both in the increasingly heated national discourse on climate issues here in Germany and the European Union as well as at the international level: In early January 2026, the United States announced its withdrawal from 66 international organisations, including key global climate policy bodies such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This continues to sap international cooperation on environmental and climate issues. As recently highlighted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the erosion of trust in institutions and expertise poses a fundamental risk to democratic decision-making and long-term sustainability efforts across the globe.

Against this backdrop, trustworthy institutions, independent research and alliances of committed actors become even more essential: Where multilateral processes stall and public discourse becomes polarised, coalitions of the willing must step in and take the initiative. At the Wuppertal Institute, we are convinced that only by working together we can succeed in shaping the path to climate protection, resource efficiency, resilient economies and prosperous societies.

This Transformation Update provides some examples of how this can be achieved collaboratively – and illustrates this with examples from very different policy areas and levels: This includes for instance analysing the shortcomings of COP30, which were also discussed in a Climate.Table Live Briefing by Table.Briefings, with researchers from the Wuppertal Institute and other experts (available on Youtube). What's more, it also sheds light on the integrity of carbon markets, strengthening international research partnerships or advancing circular economy.

The Wuppertal Institute and Earth4All have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, intensifying their cooperation in sustainability research and policy advice, for example through joint analyses of national policies and socio-economic assessments of development pathways.

The International Advisory Board stands for independence of research and the scientific quality of the Wuppertal Institute. At the joint meeting at the end of 2025, the agenda included the Institute’s research strategy and impact, further qualification for senior researchers, and the future involvement of the Advisory Board.

Despite the increasing need for action, the international community failed to find solutions at the 30th World Climate Conference in Belém. The scientists of the Wuppertal Institute analysed the results of the conference. In their report they emphasise what is needed: A strong coalition of the willing to push ahead with binding measures for the global phase-out of fossil fuels, both within and beyond the UN climate negotiations.

The Carbon Mechanisms Review issue "Ready for take-off?" focuses on one of the key challenges for the integrity of carbon markets: Non-Permanence. This refers to the lack of permanence of climate protection measures, when already achieved emission reductions or removals are reversed.

In the Carbon Mechanisms Review special edition on COP30, five leading carbon market experts examine the implications of the UN Climate Change Conference in Belém for the further development of international carbon markets. Nicolas Kreibich from the Wuppertal Institute discusses the implications for the Voluntary Carbon Market in his contribution.

The PREVENT Waste Alliance is guided by a Steering Committee elected by its members. With the re-election of Prof. Dr. Henning Wilts, Director of the Circular Economy Research Division at the Wuppertal Institute, the international network reaffirms its confidence in his scientific expertise and his long-standing commitment to waste prevention and the transition towards a global circular economy.

Germany is one of the EU's five largest exporters of used clothing to Asia and Africa. In November 2025, Maike Demandt and Burcu Gözet from the Wuppertal Institute visited Ghana. Among other things, they organised a Circular Economy Summer School and hosted an event on the sustainable use of second-hand textiles.

Despite the German government's ambitious goal to reduce land consumption to Net Zero by 2050, municipalities are continuing to seal off enormous areas. In a new study, Bettina Bahn-Walkowiak, Oliver Wagner and Carolina Krome from the Wuppertal Institute examine the relationship between municipal finances, urban development and sustainability, focusing on the potential of circular economy to limit land consumption.

3–5 February 2026 in Rome (Italy)

The Zero Carbon Industry 2026 conference addresses all those dealing with energy efficiency in industry – from company representatives to researchers and NGOs to political decision-makers. The goal is to provide comprehensive evidence-based information on all aspects of industrial energy efficiency and to connect stakeholders. In around 90 specialist presentations, speakers from the scientific community will explore the topic of energy efficiency in industry from different perspectives. Several researchers from the Wuppertal Institute will contribute with presentations.