The discussions centered on how ecological and social sustainability goals can be more effectively integrated into corporate strategies and implemented along global supply chains. Topics included the practical implementation of regulatory requirements, biodiversity-promoting approaches in cocoa cultivation, and the promotion of living incomes for producers.
The events highlighted that the necessary transformations in agricultural supply chains initially require higher investments. Measures aimed at protecting biodiversity and improving living conditions in producing regions generate additional costs, but are considered essential prerequisites for sustainable, human rights-compliant and resilient supply chains as well as for long-term competitiveness. At the same time, the discussions underscored that climate change, biodiversity loss, and persistent poverty require coordinated and long-term commitment from businesses, policymakers, and civil society alike.
ConPolicy Intervention at the re:publica Digital Conference
Living Cookie Banner at re:publica: When Data Protection Suddenly Gets in the Way
With a performative intervention at the re:publica digital conference, Dr. Otmar Lell, Project Manager at ConPolicy, and Felix Büning, PhD candidate at the University of Göttingen, transferred the logic of digital consent mechanisms into the physical world. Acting as a “living cookie banner,” they blocked visitors’ paths between different areas of the conference. Anyone wishing to pass first had to read information, give consent, or navigate complicated opt-out options.
The intervention made it possible to experience firsthand how commonplace digital consent mechanisms have become—and how disruptive they seem when transferred from virtual environments into physical spaces. “In everyday life, we would never accept people constantly stepping into our path and only allowing us to proceed if we consented to surveillance or went through a complicated process to refuse it,” the organizers of the intervention explained. “Yet online, this has become the norm.” The action sparked numerous conversations with attendees from politics, academia, civil society, and the digital economy, including German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Bärbel Bas.
The intervention took place as part of the research project PRIME. Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space, the project investigates how virtual worlds can be designed to better protect privacy.
Collective Experiment at the re:publica Digital Conference
Why Do Young People Get Involved?
How does civic engagement emerge, and what motivates people to take action on social and environmental issues? This question was at the heart of an interactive session at re:publica 2026. Under the title “Why Do (Young) People Get Involved? – A Collective Experiment on Motivation”, participants and experts explored different drivers of civic engagement.
Moderated by Silke Ramelow (BMUKN), Sophia Dasch from the ConPolicy team, Maria Schmidt, Keno Brieger, and Eslem Rejhan presented four key motivational factors for environmental and sustainability engagement: local change, fun and enjoyment, community, and (in)justice. Their presentations were based on personal experiences, which served as starting points for the discussion.
The session was based on findings from the research project “Strengthening Youth Engagement for Sustainability”, funded by the German Environment Agency (UBA) and implemented by ConPolicy together with other project partners. The project aims to better understand what motivates young people to become engaged and how opportunities for participation can be designed effectively.
The project’s findings have also been compiled in a practical handbook, which is available here.
New study for BEUC – The European Consumer Organisation
Neutral by Law, Neutral in Practice? Testing Consent Interfaces under the DMA
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires major online platforms to obtain freely given, informed, and unambiguous consent before combining or cross-using personal data. However, it remains unclear to what extent current consent interfaces actually meet these requirements.
On behalf of BEUC, ConPolicy – Institute for Consumer Policy and VVA Market Research are investigating how far the consent interfaces of designated gatekeepers influence users' decisions. To this end, different interface variants will be tested in a behavioural experiment.
Further information on the project can be found here.
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