Projects of the research partnership Ecornet Berlin

To a large extent, our business practices are based on a linear economy (‘take-make-waste’) rather than on closing loops. The coronavirus crisis as a combined health and economic crisis has shown how extremely fragile our diversified economic system is with its focus on short-term efficiency. One solution is the circular economy. Regional economic and resource cycles in particular are important for sustainability, because local and regional circular added value is more sustainable, increases the resilience of societies in times of crisis and promotes social justice and inclusiveness.

Making...

The climate and biodiversity crisis, but also social inequalities, make it necessary to fundamentally rethink the way we do business. Alternative ways of doing business already exist in practice – they take the form of commons, solidarity economy, community-based enterprises, social entrepreneurship or new cooperative approaches. The project “Alternative Economies in and for Berlin” examines the transformative potential of these concepts and looks at specific practical examples of alternative business practices for Berlin’s social and environmental development. The aim is to develop proposals...