Ecologic Institute EU

The Ecologic Institute EU is a think tank for applied environmental research, policy analysis and consultancy. Ecologic is dedicated to bringing fresh ideas to environmental policy and sustainable development. The institute places primary emphasis on generating real-world results. It covers the entire spectrum of environmental issues, including the integration of environmental concerns into other policy fields. The Ecologic Institute in Berlin was founded in 1995 and serves as the Ecologic head office. The Ecologic Institute in Brussels was established in 2001.

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Publication

Video

Consumer Policy

Energy

Jane's Story: Dark Scenario

Video Scenario Explores the Challenges of Smart Homes

This video displays the experiences of British Jane. She moves into a flat with integrated Smart Home technology, which does not fit her lifestyle. The video illustrates potential challenges of Smart Homes.

The video is a part of a video series about Smart Homes. It was presented for workshop focus groups with the purpose of determining potential target groups for Smart Home devices. The goal was to allow participants to develop their own opinions of Smart Home products and services. The workshops...Read more

Publication

Report

Climate

Climate Change Indicators in the United States, 2012

Report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

It is difficult to deny the fact that Earth's climate is changing. Almost all scientists consider the emission of greenhouse gases, mainly through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, to be one of the main reasons. The impacts of climate change include rising average and extreme temperatures, shifting patterns in snow- and rainfall, and rising sea levels. These changes threaten not only fragile ecological equilibria but also our economies and societies. Ecologic Institute's Senior Fellow Tanja Srebotnjak was involved in the indicator review for the report "...Read more

Publication

Report

Health

Senior Health in San Mateo County

Current Status and Future Trends

Together with Sustainable San Mateo, Ecologic Institute carried out a study on the healthcare needs of senior citizens in addition to other related factors, such as housing, access to parks and open space, public transportation, and healthy food. The study was sponsored by the Sequoia Healthcare District and the Peninsula Health Care District and shows that San Mateo's senior citizens are generally in good health but, at the same time, exhibit disparities due to income, ethnic and racial background, and other factors. Additionally, the report provides information on opportunities for...Read more

Event

Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation – First Workgroup Meeting for Scientific Support

TimeLoc

10 December 2012

Berlin

Germany

The first meeting of the working group for scientific support of the Master Plan for 100% climate protection – part of the "Strategic development of the National Climate Initiative (NCI)" project – was held in Berlin on 10 December 2012. The meeting allowed the participants to not only get to know each other but also provided them with the oppurtunitiy...Read more

Event

Workshop

Water

Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration - First Workshop: Environmental Policy and Legal Framework

TimeLoc

12 November 2012 to 13 November 2012

Bonn

Germany

The first in a series of workshops on the topic of fish protection and downstream migration highlighted the congruent and contradictory goals of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG) as they relate to the topic of hydropower development and fish protection. A results paper (in German) presenting the detailed findings of the workshop...Read more

Presentation

Strengthening Ecosystem-based Approaches to Tackle Climate Change – What are the Policy Implications?

TimeLoc

11 January 2013

Warschau

Poland

Sandra Naumann

Climate change and human activities are posing challenges to European habitats and their management. Protected areas in particular are confronted with the pressing need to monitor changes, adapt management strategies, and consider flexible responses to future developments. This workshop, which was organized by the EU INTERREG Project HABIT-CHANGE, aimed to present and discuss options on how to improve policies focusing on adaptive management for mitigating climate change impacts in protected areas. Sandra Naumann, a Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, gave a presentation on how ecosystem-Read more

News

Climate

Energy

A Positive Result

After three years, the evaluation team for the National Climate Protection Initiative (Nationale Klimaschutzinitiative, NKI) have drawn a positive balance across all government-funded areas: economy, consumers and communities. All analysed criteria (impact of climate protection, relevance, broad effect and economic impact) were rated positively overall. In its October issue, the journal "Umwelt" published an article about the final conference of the NKI-project with the title: "A positive result".

News

Democracy

EU Environment

Global Environment

Ecologic Institute a Global Top 10 Environmental Think Tank again in 2012 Ranking

Berlin, Germany / Washington DC (17 January 2013)

For the third year running, Ecologic Institute was voted into the Global Top Ten Environment Think Tanks in the prestigious Global "Go-To Think Tank Index," conducted by the University of Pennsylvania. Ecologic Institute—based in Berlin, Germany, and Washington, DC—continues to be the only environmental Think Tank ranked among the Top 75 Think Tanks in Western Europe, where it rose from 37^th place in 2011 to 33^rd place in 2012.

Publication

Energieeinsparung und Energieeffizienz in Deutschland

How can energy efficiency contribute to a successful "Energiewende" in Germany? Hans-Joachim Ziesing, Associate at Ecologic Institute, discusses this question in his article "Energy saving and energy efficiency in Germany" in the 2013 issue of the "Yearbook Ecology".

He describes the "Energiewende" as a decision stemming from societal and political consensus in Germany. Its implementation, however, remains unclear. In a " Energy Efficiency Key Issues Report", the federal government addresses this issue: besides the promotion of...Read more

Publication

The Social Dimension of EU Biofuel Policy

In the early 2000s, biofuels were seen as a panacea for several environmental and economic challenges. In more recent years, however, their promotion has faded substantially. With the ongoing expansion of biofuel production worldwide, serious doubts have been raised about their sustainability and potential to reach environmental targets. This Ecologic Brief provides an assessment of the extent to which social aspects of biofuel production are addressed in current EU policies. It also explores possible ways of enhancing, reshaping, or extending existing policies in order to...Read more

Event

EU Arctic Footprint - Final Expert Workshop

TimeLoc

18 November 2010

Brussels

Belgium

The EU has taken a first step towards reducing its environmental impacts on the Arctic region by investigating EU-driven pressures on the Arctic. Vice President of the European Parliament, Diana Wallis, Iceland's Senior Arctic Official, Greta Gunnarsdottir and Nicholas Hanley, Head of the International Relations and Enlargement Unit for DG Environment welcomed over 60 experts from government and civil society...Read more

Presentation

Green Party Executive Board discusses Climate Protection

TimeLoc

7 January 2013

Lüneburg

Germany

Dr. Camilla Bausch

The yearly kick-off meeting for the Executive Board of the German Green Party was held in Lüneburg, Germany, this past January. Dr. Oliver Geden of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and Dr. Camilla Bausch from Ecologic Institute were experts invited to report on the current developments and prospects of international, European, and German climate protection. Other meeting participants included the Party’s national chairpersons Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir, as well as Executive Director Steffi Lemke.

Dr. Camilla Bausch described the latest developments at theRead more

Publication

Policy Brief

EU Research

Mainstreaming

Environmental Policy Integration and Multi-Level Governance (EPIGOV)

This European Policy Brief gives an overview of the results of the project "EPIGOV" which aims to co-ordinate and synthesise the research on environmental policy integration. The policy brief summarizes the objectives of the research, the scientific approach as well as conclusions and impulses. Additionally, it provides key messages for policy makers, businesses, trade unions and civil society actors.

The policy brief can be downloaded here [pdf, 507 kB]....Read more

Publication

Förderung der Bioabfallverwertung durch Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz und Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz

Handbook chapter on the promotion of the waste management recycling of biowastes under the German Life-Cycle Resource Management Act as amended in 2012 and on the incentives regime for the energy recovery from biowastes particularly in the electricity sector under the German Renewable Energy Sources Act as amended in 2011.Read more

Event

Dinner Dialogue

Climate

Democracy

2052. A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years

TimeLoc

6 December 2012

Berlin

Germany

Speaker

Jorgen Randers

On 6 December 2012, Ecologic Institute and the German environmental publishing house Oekom Verlag co-hosted a Dinner Dialogue with Jorgen Randers in Berlin. Jorgen Randers is a co-author of the Club of Rome "The Limits to Growth" report published in 1972 and a Professor of Climate Strategy at the BI Norwegian Business School. During the dinner dialogue he presented insights...Read more

Event

Workshop

Water

Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Fish Migration - Second Workshop: Fish Protection & Downstream Migration at Hydraulic Engineering Sites – What is Needed?

TimeLoc

23 January 2013 to 24 January 2013

Karlsruhe

Germany

The workshop "Fish Protection & Downstream Migration at Hydraulic Engineering Sites - What is Needed?" collectively addressed all aspects of fish protection and downstream fish migration that are relevant for dams and water extraction structures. The focal points of the workshop were the foundations of fish behavioral ecology, the technical installations used to achieve fish protection and downstream migration, and...Read more

Presentation

Speech

Business

Climate

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification for Emissions Trading: Challenges and Best Practices

TimeLoc

23 November 2012

Beijing

China

Benjamin Görlach

In order to limit the rapid growth of greenhouse gas emissions, China has decided to implement seven pilot schemes for emissions trading, which are expected to start operating in 2013, with a view to implementing a national scheme in the future. To support this effort, the EU-China Exchange on Challenges and Best Practices in ETS brought together emissions trading experts from Europe and representatives from the different pilot schemes. Benjamin Görlach, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, gave a presentation and co-chaired a workshop on how to design robust structures for monitoringRead more

Presentation

Speech

Business

Climate

Registry Design for Emissions Trading

TimeLoc

22 November 2012

Beijing

China

Benjamin Görlach

In order to limit the rapid growth of greenhouse gas emissions, China has decided to implement seven pilot schemes for emissions trading, which are expected to start operating in 2013, with a view to implementing a national scheme in the future. To support this effort, the EU-China Exchange on Challenges and Best Practices in ETS brought together emissions trading experts from Europe and representatives from the different pilot schemes. Benjamin Görlach, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, gave a presentation and co-chaired a workshop on the design of emissions trading registries.Read more

Presentation

Speech

Business

Climate

Effective MRV for Emissions Trading in the Power Sector – Experiences from the EU

TimeLoc

21 November 2012

Beijing

China

Benjamin Görlach

In order to limit the rapid growth of greenhouse gas emissions, China has decided to implement seven pilot schemes for emissions trading, which are expected to start operating in 2013, with a view to implementing a nation-wide scheme in the future. To support this effort, the EU-China Exchange on Challenges and Best Practices in ETS brought together representatives from the different pilot schemes, participants from the private sector, and European experts. Benjamin Görlach, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, gave a presentation on the impact of emissions trading on the power sectorRead more

Project

Follow-up to the Rio+20 Conference: Sustainable Development Goals and the Green Economy

In June of 2012, 20 years after the first UN Summit on sustainable development, the Rio +20 Conference took place in Rio de Janeiro. The conference agreed on the notion of a Green Economy and the concept of Sustainable Development Goals, however did not decide on their content. Instead, follow-up processes were initiated that are supposed to fill these general concepts with life. Ecologic Institute supports both processes as part of a project for the German Federal Environment Agency (Umwelbundesamt) and the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMURead more

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Ecologic Institute EU

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